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By Michael Bielawski
After numerous allegations of censorship against the popular Vermont-based social media outlet Front Porch Forum, at least one candidate for office is taking the initiative to try a competing site.
GOP candidate for State Senate David Koch recently wrote on Nextdoor, “I am running for the Vermont State Senate in the Washington District to help make Vermont more affordable, and take real steps toward climate and flood resilience. Unfortunately, FPF labels posts critical of the incumbents as “misinformation” and censors or completely cancels the truth.”
FPF has been in numerous VDC headlines over the years as conservatives including candidates have accused the site of playing political favorites under the guise of moderation.
Koch was highlighted by VDC in September for an incident of alleged censorship by FPF. The report states “He posted an opinion piece with VDC back in August about the state’s recently mandated massive investments to mitigate climate change. The same commentary was submitted to FPF – which wouldn’t run it unless he removed some supposedly deceptive content about man-made climate change.”
Jay Eshelman of Westminster, a business owner and former Work Force Investment Board and River Valley Technical Center board member, is another high-profile conservative to sound alarm.
“I’ve been impressed with the number of reports by various VDC readers confirming the totalitarian nature of Front Porch Forum (FPF), couched in the guise of a so-called Public Benefit Corporation,” he wrote for VDC.
Is Nextdoor any better?
Nextdoor users may still need to keep an eye out for censorship. The nationwide, publicly traded company has also faced accusations of silencing users over political views. According to the left-leaning political news site Vox, the nationwide operation faced similar accusations during the 2020 election.
“Nextdoor, which has reportedly signed up more than 10 million users and nearly 220,000 neighborhoods in the US, is mulling a public stock listing and has long tried to set itself apart as a safe space for local discourse,” the article states.
The Vox story continues, “Nextdoor prohibits certain forms of misinformation, such as false information that could interfere with voting and calls to incite violence. The company also doesn’t allow political ads, and to discourage tense political debates, it directs discourse about national politics to less prominent areas of the Nextdoor website and app.”
Another story by NPR alleges that a message involving Black Lives Matter was taken down without just cause. The results of the incident could be more censorship.
The report says, “[Nextdoor CEO Sarah Friar] said that Nextdoor is taking several more steps to improve the moderation of comments. It will soon offer unconscious bias training to all moderators. It will also launch a campaign to enlist more Black moderators. And it is ramping up efforts to detect and remove instances of racial profiling.”
The Nextdoor website says in its section on moderation states, “False or misleading information about the cause of national or international acts of violence against political figures.”
Both sites take public money
Both Front Porch Forum and Nextdoor take public funding. Initially reported by Seven Days, FPF has taken “more than a third of a million dollars in public funds last summer, which calls into question FPF’s categorizing itself as a private media company as it pertains to free speech laws,” according to a VDC report. Nextdoor became a publicly traded company, first announced in 2021.
For both companies, taking public money changes to rules they must follow when it comes to the moderation of users’ content. An analysis of the First Amendment by the National Constitution Center states that when it’s a public entity, censorship is not ok.
“The First Amendment only protects your speech from government censorship. It applies to federal, state, and local government actors. This is a broad category that includes not only lawmakers and elected officials, but also public schools and universities, courts, and police officers. It does not include private citizens, businesses, and organizations,” it states.
The author is a writer for the Vermont Daily Chronicle
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An uplifting article and yet another reason to vote for Donald, a thinking man who is finding ways to get the good word out despite the forces against us, namely the Front Porch Fraudsters. Save Vermont…Vote Republican. Save America…Vote Republican.
Hey, look at this, can post freely here…..say most anything….be as political as you desire, Kudo’s to Guy Page and the team.
Where else in Vermont is there more freedom than here at the Daily Chronicle?
We may be needing some form of open communication in the very near future, Lord willing things will be peaceful, but some people are much grift to lose, they may be upset…..
Keep up the great work Guy.
I had the same experience with FPF. They didn’t like what I wrote in support of Sam Douglas for Senate. In one point, I referred to Rep. Katherine Sims, his opponent, who supported S. 5 (Act 18), The Affordable Heat Act, which outgoing Senator Bobby Starr had voted against, and what that could mean for oil prices. I was referring to what Sen. Chris Bray had said about the possible cost increase for oil. I included the link to his remarks. They wouldn’t print it. I was given the option to rewrite it and they referred me to a VT Digger article. I rewrote my letter, using a different VT Digger article, and they still didn’t print it.
Maybe someone needs to get Elon Musk involved. Democrats/progressives hate free expression. I had a very benign pro-Israel comment ignored recently by FPF. Screw them.
Front Porch Forum + VT Digger = Totalitarians
I am still banned from Front Porch Fascists because of my 2020 Campaign Letter from my VT House of Representative race.
I just don’t understand why? Here is its two beginning paragraphs 😉
”Dear Vermonter,
“My message is blunt. It’s meant to awaken. To connect the dots. Most importantly: To inform.
“The traditional Democrat Party is dead. It’s gone. Progressivism has absorbed it. Progressivism is a euphemism for today’s postmodern-Socialism….”
It gets much better from there! 😂
Oops. It was my 2022 Campaign Letter…
Well you could be using that for the past 30 years and a few more to come, surely.
They don’t like free speech, no doubt.
Don’t try and post anything that will ruffle the feathers at FPF, you know what I mean
I will no be posted, if you want to post use VDC…………….. that’s it !!
Unfortunately, Nextdoor is exactly the same, if not this time then it will be the next. I have personally experienced it. Nextdoor censors comments and expels subscribers – almost entirely with conservative views routinely.
It will not be unless Trump wins election and disallows companies that are owned or operating within the United States from restricting free speech online unless they contain threats or profanity or somehow genuinely imperil the well-being of anyone else who uses the site. This is imperative in this Constitutional Republic —- and nothing less shall do ——— and anything less is full-on Pravda USA.
So far I have been lucky…joined Nextdoor and have been pounding the conservative view for days now and have yet to be censored. Save Vermont/Vote Republican!
The only method to oppose free speech violations by these biased companies /”non-profits / fake news media organizations or whatever they refer to themselves is to fight fire with fire!
Conservatives need to establish their own similar platform to allow for freedom-loving patriots to espouse their views and perspectives while simultaneously meeting neighbors online and finding out all about “local garage and bake sales”!!!
These seemingly benign online sites are but a ruse for the display of authoritarianist culture and creed. BEAT THEM at their own game. Again, fight fire with fire…….and now……………. I’ll be awaiting the spin doctors of the FBI & Homeland Security at my door soon for “threatening” to “set democrat headquarters on fire” in the same manner Trump supposedly threatened Lizzy Cheney.
Take back AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’d like to reiterate Neil Johnson’s appreciation for VDC. Unless I’m missing something, I’m noticing many new names in VDC’s comment section, and I believe Guy has reported that VDC subscriptions are continuing to increase.
Keep in mind that FPF is the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing. Under the guise of providing a platform for neighbors to connect and share local news, events, and classified ads, FPF asserts a subliminal and targeted political agenda. Perhaps Guy and his staff can add a separate and more commercially oriented community bulletin board page for VDC readers that competes directly with FPF.
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Wouldn’t that be cool! Something that readers could populate by filling in a form with the necessary info. Might actually be a good application of AI. Thanks for another good idea, Jay.
Yeah VDC is just the best! We all need to really encourage family and friends to subscribe. And I love Jays idea as well.
Something else to consider. As popular as podcasts are getting (Trump/Vance on Rogan for instance), we need to encourage and support Paul Bean and his podcast. My husband and I were just talking about the Friday at Four Cremee Cast and how much it could, and already is, being utilized for this purpose. Watching Rogan talking with people in an easy, low key fashion, is a great way to get to know them.
And could you just imagine the amount of views Paul would get with an interview of Micheal Wood-Lewis, owner of FPF?!
Too much fun 😆
During Covid FPF refused to post any comment that wasn’t totally supportive of masks, closures and the vax. They literally refused to post a notice for a picnic potluck for a group because they were opposed to mandates. There was absolutely no way to post information about groups, meetings or events that didn’t adhere to being pro mask and vax mandates.
Ah FPF….the site that allowed posts that supported murder of people that didn’t support BLM, but not posts that called out that liberal policy.
Front Porch Fascism.