NPS restores Underground Railroad history after outcry
The National Park Service rewrote — then restored — the Underground Railroad story and reposted a deleted photo of abolitionist Harriet Tubman.
Why it matters: The initial rewriting of abolitionist sites and history, first reported by the Washington Post, comes amid a massive purge of articles about people of color on government websites following President Trump’s executive order ending federal diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Related Knowledge Center: Democracy and politics
News organizations are scrambling to find a coverage approach that adequately informs the American public about the country’s slide from democracy to authoritarian rule.
Related Knowledge Center: Information integrity
In an increasingly fractured media landscape, truth has been a casualty in the public discussion. Coverage has been warped by the business needs of struggling news organizations, and a significant segment of the public relies on bad-faith outlets that are little more than propagandists. While fact-checking has become routine, some organizations are exploring other ways to combat the trends. And misinformation spewed by AI-driven chatbots has become more of a feature than simply a bug.
Fact-checking and its detractors