() BuzzFeed News uncovered the evidence that Mikkelson wrote under an assumed identity for Snopes, and plagiarized extensively between 2015 and 2019. Mikkelson claimed to be a “bulwark in the fight against rumors and fake news. But he has been lying to the site’s tens of millions of readers,” noted Buzzfeed. In an internal review prompted by BuzzFeed News’ inquiries, Snopes confirmed Mikkelson wrote and published 54 articles containing plagiarized material from outlets such as Reuters and the Guardian. The articles were published under Mikkelson’s own name, the “Snopes byline,” and a pseudonym, and included topics such as “same-sex marriage licenses.”
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by August 13th, 2021
All of the articles in question will be retracted and advertising on them disabled, as well as add to each piece an editor’s note of explanation, Snopes told BuzzFeed News. The editorial staff of Snopes also disavowed Mikkelson in a separate statement, which eight current writers of the outlet signed.
“Jeff Zarronandia” wrote at least 23 articles for Snopes, including pieces claiming to disprove accusations against Hillary Clinton, or attacking Donald Trump. Zarronandia had a Twitter profile and a bio claiming he “won the Pulitzer Prize for numismatics in 2006. . .[and] the Distinguished Conflagration Award of the American Society of Muleskinners for 2005.”
There is in fact no Pulitzer Prize for numismatics and no American Society of Muleskinners, but there is also no Jeff Zarronandia. The former managing editor for Snopes, Brooke Binkowski, said that “Zarronandia” was an alternate name for Mikkelson, and that “He used to write about topics he knew would get him hate mail under that assumed name. Plus it made it appear he had more staff than he had.” There are other trolls on the Snopes site, such as “The Repository of Lost Legends” section, which contains not only fact-checks that are spoofs but also forms the acronym TROLL with its title.
Mikkelson told BuzzFeed News that he invented the pseudonym and personality of Zarronandia for a joke deliberately meant to mislead both trolls and those he judged conspiracy theorists in the time leading up to the US presidential election in 2016. Mikkelson called it “kind of a stress-relief thing” and added, “Let’s have some fun and watch these people vent their spleen inventing reasons why this nonexistent persona is biased.” Mikkelson was writing trolling articles under a false name while simultaneously mocking Trump and Trump supporters as conspiracy theorists.
As Zarronandia, Mikkelson defended Khizr Khan, who gave an anti-Trump speech to the Democratic National Convention in 2016 and was later accused of being on the payroll of the Clinton Foundation. Mikkelson believed that the 2016 election cycle provided many opportunities to “debunk” stories.
Steve Bannon, then campaign strategist for Donald Trump, is specifically mentioned in BuzzFeed’s account of Mickelson’s motives.
The Zarronandia author page has now been removed from Snopes and the byline replaced with “Snopes staff.”
About The Author
Catherine Salgado is a double-major in Classical Languages and Theology and a contributor to The National Pulse.
Stillness in the Storm Editor: Why did we post this?
The news is important to all people because it is where we come to know new things about the world, which leads to the development of more life goals that lead to life wisdom. The news also serves as a social connection tool, as we tend to relate to those who know about and believe the things we do. With the power of an open truth-seeking mind in hand, the individual can grow wise and the collective can prosper.
– Justin
Not sure how to make sense of this? Want to learn how to discern like a pro? Read this essential guide to discernment, analysis of claims, and understanding the truth in a world of deception: 4 Key Steps of Discernment – Advanced Truth-Seeking Tools.
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