The Illusion of News

Guest opinion by Tim Wadsworth, Member, Alabama House of Representatives and Attorney

In today’s fast-moving digital world, it’s easier than ever to publish information, and harder than ever for people to know what’s real and what’s not. Here in Alabama, we’re seeing more and more online blogs that present themselves as “news,” but in reality, many are political propaganda pieces designed to sway or mislead voters, not inform them.

Let me say this plainly. These sites are not held to the same standards as traditional media. Television and radio stations are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). They have rules about fairness, which includes equal time for candidates and basic expectations when it comes to truthfulness. Real journalists follow a formal code of ethics when reporting.

Online blogs? They don’t have to follow those rules. They can say what they want, cover who they want, and leave out who they want - with no accountability.

And in Alabama, that’s exactly what’s happening.

In Alabama, there are no laws that stop a website from calling itself “news,” even if it doesn’t practice journalism at all. Compare that to banking: no company can call itself a bank unless it is regulated and insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). However, in the online media world, anyone can put “news” in the title and start publishing.

Some of these sites that gravitate toward Republicans are run by GOP political consultants and operatives…people who are actively working for candidates or who have clients who fund races and/or their online sites right now. That means the same folks behind campaigns also control what looks like independent “news” coverage. Most readers aren’t told that.

For example, one of the Republican-leaning online outlets masquerading as “news,” is owned by a political consultant under one business name, who simultaneously represents candidates, elected officials, and is tied to lobbyists under a different business name.

Their tactics can be subtle, but they matter. Sometimes names are left out of articles, misspelled, or written inconsistently, small things that keep certain candidates from gaining recognition or search engine optimization (SEO). Because these outlets aren’t required to give equal time, they can highlight one candidate while trying to erase another. They can also write libelous “hit jobs” designed to discredit candidates they don’t like.

The online blogs also mix in legitimate news stories from time to time, stories you might see anywhere else. That’s intentional. It helps them look credible and makes it harder for readers to tell the difference between real reporting and political messaging.

Many of these blogs target Republican voters, Republican county parties, and local GOP clubs. They use familiar language, talk about conservative values, and position themselves as trusted voices. They encourage them to share their articles or have their writers moderate forums. But here’s the irony: some of the same outlets that complain about “fake news” actively create it through misleading headlines, selective facts, lying by omission, one-sided stories, outright lies, and smear campaigns.

What is troubling is how closely some of these blogs are embedded with Republicans in office, who want to be in office, and/or with lobbyists. Their underhanded tactics make our party look bad. Republicans in Alabama should condemn this corrupt system.

Let’s be honest about how the system works. Coverage often doesn’t go to the most qualified candidate. It goes to the candidate connected to the consultants running the site, or the one backed by a network of operatives, lobbyists, or dark money. Articles become tools, not reporting. Sometimes they look like news. In reality, they’re closer to paid influence.

Another concern Alabamians should be aware of is how some constitutional officers and other elected officials begin to blur the line between public service and political campaigning the moment they decide to run for a different office. Suddenly, there’s a noticeable surge in press releases (often written by taxpayer-funded staff) articles that highlight routine, day-to-day duties as if they are major accomplishments. These aren’t campaign materials on paper, but they function like them in practice, all while being funded by the public (YOU). At the same time, the same pay-to-play blogs that receive financial support or advertising dollars turn around and amplify these press releases, repackage them as “news” and push them out to readers. The result is a coordinated echo chamber that promotes a candidate’s campaign message without the campaign having to pay for it directly, which leaves taxpayers to unknowingly foot the bill.

You’ll see glowing write-ups that are press releases about routine government duties, a tactic to boost name recognition for certain officials who want a new job. I’ve seen a ridiculous amount of this garbage in 2025 and 2026, and it is disturbing. We, the taxpayers, are inadvertently paying for someone else’s political ambitions.

You’ll also see questionable “polls” with no real transparency. You’ll see hit pieces designed to tear others down. All of this adds up to one thing: confusion and deception for voters.

People try to stay informed, but instead they’re being fed a mix of truth, spin, and sometimes outright falsehoods… all presented as “news.”

Now, to be clear, not every online outlet is like this. There are good, honest journalists doing important work every day. However, the rise of these politically-driven blogs means we all have to be more careful about what we read and who we trust. We need to vote for candidates who understand business and how to solve problems, candidates with servants’ hearts, and who are not tied to political tomfoolery.  We need leaders, not political puppets.

Alabamians deserve to know who is behind the online material they’re reading, and what the real motive is. Under current law, there is no transparency of what people or what entities are funding these online blogs.

At the end of the day, if we want better government, we have to start with better information.

Alabama laws need to be reformed to require more transparency in online blogs.

In Alabama, we have too much fake news. And for the voters’ sake, that needs to change.

Rep. Tim Wadsworth (R-Arley) is a current member of the Alabama House of Representatives. He is a practicing attorney, small business owner, and husband of Dr. Nicole Jones Wadsworth for Lt. Governor. 

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