FactCheckArmenia.com
{{short description|Website denying the Armenian genocide}}
FactCheckArmenia.com is a website whose stated purpose is "exposing Armenian distortions and hypocrisies".{{cite news |last1=Sozeri |first1=Efe Kerem |title=The story behind the Armenian genocide-denying skywriting above NYC |url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/armenian-genocide-turkey-fact-check-armenia-skywriting/ |access-date=20 November 2020 |work=The Daily Dot |date=25 April 2016}} Despite the name, it is not a fact-checking website; it publishes false information denying the Armenian genocide.{{cite news |last1=Sözeri |first1=Efe Kerem |title=These fake 'fact-checkers' are peddling lies about genocide and censorship in Turkey |url=https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2017/these-fake-fact-checkers-are-peddling-lies-about-genocide-and-censorship-in-turkey/ |access-date=20 November 2020 |work=Poynter |date=31 May 2017}}{{cite journal |last1=Moshirnia |first1=Andrew |title=Who Will Check the Checkers? False Factcheckers and Memetic Misinformation |journal=Utah Law Review |date=2020 |volume=2020 |issue=4 |pages=1029–1073 |url=https://dc.law.utah.edu/ulr/vol2020/iss4/5/ |issn=0042-1448}} Among the false claims made by the website is the assertion that "no Armenians were harmed" during the deportation of Armenian intellectuals on 24 April 1915 (most of the deportees were eventually murdered).
According to Vice News, "FactCheckArmenia dispenses a view that is suspiciously similar to the Turkish government's line—and sometimes, perhaps more extreme". According to genocide expert Samuel Totten, the website uses a misleading title to "snare the uninformed". He adds that "There is hardly any other way to describe Fact Check Armenia than to say it is an out and out denier of the Ottoman Turk genocide of the Armenians between 1915 and 1922."{{cite book |last1=Totten |first1=Samuel |title=Teaching and Learning About Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity: Fundamental Issues and Pedagogical Approaches |date=2018 |publisher=IAP |isbn=978-1-64113-354-8 |page=262 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=na-YDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22fact+check+armenia%22&pg=PA262 |language=en}} The website is not transparent about its ownership or funding, but has links to the Turkish government. According to Ab Kaan, involved in both organizations, "all data in Fact Check Armenia is produced by The Turkic Platform".
Google ads
In 2015, Vice News reported that FactCheckArmenia.com was buying Google ads in order to appear first in the search results for the search terms "Ermeni Kırımı" (a Turkish phrase for the Armenian genocide), and the English-language "Armenian genocide".{{cite news |last1=Merchant |first1=Brian |title=How Google Searches Are Promoting Armenian Genocide Denial |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/jp54eg/how-google-searches-are-promoting-genocide-denial |access-date=20 November 2020 |work=www.vice.com |date=28 April 2015 |language=en}} At the time, Google ad policy forbade "products or services that help users to mislead others".
Billboards and ads
In April 2015, the website published a paid ad in Reuters, which was later silently deleted.
In 2016, The Wall Street Journal published an advertisement by FactCheckArmenia.com denying the Armenian genocide. Previously, The New York Times refused to run the ad based on its policy rejecting any "advertising that denies great human tragedies". Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian proposed that the city stop buying the newspaper and any others that print ads denying the genocide.{{cite news |title=Genocide Denial Posters Reach Little Armenia |url=http://asbarez.com/149353/genocide-denial-posters-reach-little-armenia/?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=ad60741d5969590676c6946d55e76ea229bb9ac8-1605861527-0-AcjbCCjAO-P_4SGdMCghnalGl1Pg-6QP6KJzLeCKFdNI3XZyU03Hv1NRmdBsEGQlAcaRe4GxMfbIWPEKwg9gZzvr51gIm4Ez4WPI5VUB4HzmUQIXQw9LrbwvtRu8qqTRZQTjSKykweRdNlkWRgUPbpug_erNvXMtUTzDzbqeOnTZvoqaqBIzYoiq94VeBVoHj3RruhxO0n-Qcr8uGF3Sqq4sn_DdAbbM437ZcywEXrJC1oA2-quxJOrCszTk5I1HHXGcfMQVefZBsc2Aqkuk5WxK20rQtzoP0lm4nwVvGQ7qQb9OLZeqVIliiQC-JDKEx_nPAcQMydef8kSi7GHdT3x-aaOg0ennD4odLPSuVnUdatYkAXqshiIoVIx00f7ncA |access-date=20 November 2020 |work=Asbarez.com |date=22 April 2016}} Kim Kardashian took out an ad in The New York Times stating, "Advocating the denial of a genocide by the country responsible for it – that’s not publishing a ‘provocative viewpoint,’ that's spreading lies".{{cite news |title=Kim Kardashian says denial of 'Armenian genocide' shameful |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-20/kim-kardashian-takes-out-newspaper-ad-for-armenian-genocide/7860172 |access-date=20 November 2020 |work=www.abc.net.au |date=19 September 2016 |language=en-AU}}{{cite news |title=Kim Kardashian completely takes apart the Wall Street journal over its Armenian genocide ad |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/kim-kardashian-armenian-genocide-denial-new-york-times-wall-street-journal-advert-a7317826.html |access-date=20 November 2020 |work=The Independent |date=20 September 2016 |language=en}}{{cite book |last1=Lippman |first1=Matthew |title=Law and Society |date=2020 |publisher=SAGE Publications |isbn=978-1-5443-9255-4 |page=381 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7FTqDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22fact+check+armenia%22&pg=PA381 |language=en}}
In April 2016, the website was advertised on billboards in various places including Boston, Chicago, Texas, and Little Armenia, Los Angeles. Armenian National Committee of America launched a campaign against the billboards, encouraging companies to "stop profiting from genocide denial". Some of the posters were advertised by local Turkish consulates. Turkish historian Fatma Müge Göçek stated, "I have been following the story regarding the billboards in Boston and Chicago with great disappointment, but not surprise."{{cite news |title=Full-page ad denying the Armenian genocide in The Wall Street Journal spurs anger |url=https://www.newsweek.com/full-page-wsj-ad-denying-armenian-genocide-spurs-anger-450971 |access-date=6 December 2020 |work=Newsweek |date=21 April 2016 |language=en}}
Skywriting
On 20 April 2016, FactCheckArmenia.com paid GEICO Skytypers for skywriting over New York City stating "101 years of Geno-lie," "Gr8 ally = Turkey," "BFF = Russia + Armenia," and "FactCheckArmenia.com". GEICO Skytypers later apologized.{{cite news|last1=Cassano|first1=Jay|date=22 April 2016|title=GEICO-Sponsored Company Put a Sky Message Above NYC Denying Turkey's Genocide of Armenians|language=en|work=Vice News|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/7xamwg/geico-helped-put-a-sky-message-above-nyc-denying-turkeys-genocide-in-armenia|access-date=20 November 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Bearak |first1=Max |title=An American company is apologizing for 'denying genocide' in the sky above New York City |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/04/26/an-american-company-is-apologizing-for-denying-genocide-in-the-sky-above-new-york-city/ |access-date=20 November 2020 |newspaper=Washington Post}} Although some Armenian-Americans were outraged, the skywriting otherwise attracted little attention from Americans. Armenian-American novelist Nancy Kricorian stated that she was "appalled and disgusted" by the skywriting. Furthermore, she "was surprised to see that they are still peddling this tired and unconvincing strategy of calling Armenians liars". History professor Louis A. Fishman said, "Stunts like we saw Wednesday in New York only throw salt on the wounds of Armenians whose families died in the genocide". However, he also stated that most Americans were probably confused by the messages.
The website has an affiliated Twitter account, @FCArmenia. On 24 April, 2020 (Armenian Genocide Memorial Day), the account tweeted "#ArmenianGenocide is a hoax! Armenian lobby fooled public opinion for many years".{{cite tweet|user=FCArmenia|number=1253633577348214784|date=24 April 2020|title=#ArmenianGenocide is a hoax! Armenian lobby fooled public opinion for many years. Enough! Well there's another side of the story that they can't deny or ignore! Please retweet to spread the truth!}} This view is in contrast to that of historical research and scholarship, which considers the genocide a historical fact.
References
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External links
- {{cite thesis |last1=Samwel |first1=Sarah |title=Faking Facts: The Case of FactCheckArmenia.com |date=2020 |url=https://prism.ucalgary.ca/handle/1880/112039|institution=University of Calgary}}
{{Falsification of history}}
{{Armenian genocide denial}}