UPDATE – 08-03-2016: We have slightly revised our judgment on Breitbart in light of their consistent policy of going well beyond headline-hyperbole with their articles into downright lying when it suits them:
Obama’s post-Ramadan statement giving thanks to the “achievements and contributions of Muslim Americans to building the very fabric of our nation and strengthening the core of our democracy” becomes:
Sometimes, they outright lie, as with this headline:
When in fact it was David Axelrod, former Obama advisor, who said that on an Israeli television channel. This is Breitbart at their Clickbait-y best. At worst, which is most of the time, it’s shoddy journalism meant to enrage their base.
While it is always our recommendation that you read an article in its entirety before sharing it and never rely on the headline + first paragraph method, we double-down on this sentiment with Breitbart. It will be easy to share with haphazard abandon if you share a similar socio-political disposition with Breitbart, but reviewing and double checking sources will always be your best bet.
Original Verdict – Andrew Breitbart was a rather conservative author, The Washington Times commentator, and author. He also served as an editor for the Drudge Report website and was instrumental in starting Huffington Post.[1.]
www.breitbart.com continues on in his conservative vein, even after Breitbart’s death in 2012.
Despite Breitbart himself having the reputation of being a despicable person — or at least having a despicable public persona — www.breitbart.com is no more or less horrible than any other news site with a specific agenda. The stories are going to be slanted heavily on the side of the Conservatives.
For instance, there’s this article about Brian Williams [erroneously reported as “Jennings” — thanks for pointing that out to us, readers!]:
BRIAN WILLIAMS EARNS 350 TIMES MORE THAN THE AVERAGE TV NEWS ANCHOR
According to this article, since one news anchor makes a shit-tonne more money than a handful of other anchors who also make a shit-tonne of money, that negates the current income disparity in the U.S. Because, you know, that makes sense. But this is the sort of Right-leaning stories you’ll find on the site, with little to no counter-voice.
It makes one wonder what Andrew Breitbart’s involvement in HuffPo really was.
[1. Wikipedia, Andrew Breitbart, retrieved 01/20/2015.]
EDITOR’S NOTE: Buzzfeed actually has a nice write-up about Breitbart’s limited involvement with the launching of HuffPo. This was written a day or so after his death in 2012.