5 ms·

Zero Hedge has been deemed controversial, but their reporting here is... wow. https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/one-day-after-zero-hedge-ft-unmasks-softbank-c

by ramoz 6y ago

Zero Hedge has been deemed controversial, but their reporting here is... wow. https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/one-day-after-zero-hedge-ft-unmasks-softbank-call-buying-nasdaq-whale https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/one-day-after-zero-hedge-f...

vajrabum 6y ago
The reason for the controversy is there are indications that Zero Hedge may be an outlet for a state level actor. See here for one perspective. https://newrepublic.com/article/156788/zero-hedge-russian-trojan-horse https://newrepublic.com/article/156788/zero-hedge-russian-tr...
- opportune 6y ago
  This is a really good article. I guess the best way to get top-notch investigative journalism is to personally threaten a journalist
- kaycebasques 6y ago
  Wow, back when I visited ZH I would always be in this cognitively dissonant place where I was getting a lot of value out of the market-related articles and cringing at all the conspiratorial political stuff. I can't believe I never considered the idea that it's sponsored by the Kremlin.
- blahblah3737 6y ago
  read the article, it's not very convincing to be honest. it's a long winded biography of the owner of the site who is bulgarian. the evidence is that the reporting content is right-leaning/conspiratorial and that he is bulgarian basically.
- rapsey 6y ago
  Or maybe they are being framed for calling out the bullshit in other mainstream media.
  - vkou 6y ago
    Some of their work is, indeed, calling out bullshit. Much of it is bonkers-insane, ah, bullshit of a different flavour. People wouldn't be reading the second, if they didn't print the first.
- Natsu 6y ago
  > Zero Hedge may be an outlet for a state level actor. So is the NPR and the BBC, so I'm not sure how much this means. It's best to take what everyone says with a grain of salt and piece things together from the evidence presented. I certainly don't believe everything posted by any of the outlets. ZH definitely plays more fast and loose with things, though.
  - dlp211 6y ago
    How is NPR an outlet for state level actors? Which state level actors?
    - Natsu 6y ago
      They're an arm of the US Government. If that's not a state, I don't know what is.
      - nr2x 6y ago
        "While NPR does not receive any direct federal funding, it does receive a small number of competitive grants from CPB and federal agencies like the Department of Education and the Department of Commerce. This funding amounts to approximately 2% of NPR's overall revenues." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPR#Funding https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPR#Funding
        Natsu 6y ago
        Other quotes from the same article: "NPR differs from other non-profit membership media organizations, such as AP, in that it was established by an act of Congress[2] and most of its member stations are owned by government entities (often public universities)." "Typically, NPR member stations receive funds through on-air pledge drives, corporate underwriting, state and local governments, educational institutions, and the federally funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). In 2009, member stations derived 6% of their revenue from federal, state and local government funding, 10% of their revenue from CPB grants, and 14% of their revenue from universities.[24][41]" Depending on whether the universities are public or private, this accounts for something approaching 30% of their budget. So that 2% figure doesn't really give the full picture.
QuesnayJr 6y ago
Zero Hedge prints a lot of rumors and gossip. Sometimes rumors and gossip turn out to be true.
markus_zhang 6y ago
I keep reading ZH just because of these occasional gems. They have some sources in the market and can be a bit quicker than main stream reporters.
- beepboopbeep 6y ago
  I feel like that's fishing for quarters in a sewage tank now.
  - markus_zhang 6y ago
    I do agree. I usually just browse the topics and see if there is anything interesting. Usually there is nothing to see, but sometimes these gems turn out. But TBH maybe they are gems just because I'm an outsider.
- sjcsjc 6y ago
  Ditto, but it can be difficult at times to wade through the nonsense. At least it's less painful than it used to be since they switched to hiding comments by default, some time ago.
m3kw9 6y ago
All the finger pointing sound sensational, but the stocks are not going up because they are hype companies like in the dotcom, these are best of the crop companies. I would say they are adding in a bit of sensationalism to get people excited. I wonder which side of the trades they are on?

by ramoz 6y ago

vajrabum 6y ago

The reason for the controversy is there are indications that Zero Hedge may be an outlet for a state level actor. See here for one perspective. https://newrepublic.com/article/156788/zero-hedge-russian-trojan-horse https://newrepublic.com/article/156788/zero-hedge-russian-tr...

opportune 6y ago
This is a really good article. I guess the best way to get top-notch investigative journalism is to personally threaten a journalist
kaycebasques 6y ago
Wow, back when I visited ZH I would always be in this cognitively dissonant place where I was getting a lot of value out of the market-related articles and cringing at all the conspiratorial political stuff. I can't believe I never considered the idea that it's sponsored by the Kremlin.
blahblah3737 6y ago
read the article, it's not very convincing to be honest. it's a long winded biography of the owner of the site who is bulgarian. the evidence is that the reporting content is right-leaning/conspiratorial and that he is bulgarian basically.
rapsey 6y ago
Or maybe they are being framed for calling out the bullshit in other mainstream media.
- vkou 6y ago
  Some of their work is, indeed, calling out bullshit. Much of it is bonkers-insane, ah, bullshit of a different flavour. People wouldn't be reading the second, if they didn't print the first.
Natsu 6y ago
> Zero Hedge may be an outlet for a state level actor. So is the NPR and the BBC, so I'm not sure how much this means. It's best to take what everyone says with a grain of salt and piece things together from the evidence presented. I certainly don't believe everything posted by any of the outlets. ZH definitely plays more fast and loose with things, though.
- dlp211 6y ago
  How is NPR an outlet for state level actors? Which state level actors?
  - Natsu 6y ago
    They're an arm of the US Government. If that's not a state, I don't know what is.
    - nr2x 6y ago
      "While NPR does not receive any direct federal funding, it does receive a small number of competitive grants from CPB and federal agencies like the Department of Education and the Department of Commerce. This funding amounts to approximately 2% of NPR's overall revenues." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPR#Funding https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPR#Funding
      - Natsu 6y ago
        Other quotes from the same article: "NPR differs from other non-profit membership media organizations, such as AP, in that it was established by an act of Congress[2] and most of its member stations are owned by government entities (often public universities)." "Typically, NPR member stations receive funds through on-air pledge drives, corporate underwriting, state and local governments, educational institutions, and the federally funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). In 2009, member stations derived 6% of their revenue from federal, state and local government funding, 10% of their revenue from CPB grants, and 14% of their revenue from universities.[24][41]" Depending on whether the universities are public or private, this accounts for something approaching 30% of their budget. So that 2% figure doesn't really give the full picture.

QuesnayJr 6y ago

Zero Hedge prints a lot of rumors and gossip. Sometimes rumors and gossip turn out to be true.

markus_zhang 6y ago

I keep reading ZH just because of these occasional gems. They have some sources in the market and can be a bit quicker than main stream reporters.

beepboopbeep 6y ago
I feel like that's fishing for quarters in a sewage tank now.
- markus_zhang 6y ago
  I do agree. I usually just browse the topics and see if there is anything interesting. Usually there is nothing to see, but sometimes these gems turn out. But TBH maybe they are gems just because I'm an outsider.
sjcsjc 6y ago
Ditto, but it can be difficult at times to wade through the nonsense. At least it's less painful than it used to be since they switched to hiding comments by default, some time ago.

m3kw9 6y ago

All the finger pointing sound sensational, but the stocks are not going up because they are hype companies like in the dotcom, these are best of the crop companies. I would say they are adding in a bit of sensationalism to get people excited. I wonder which side of the trades they are on?