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Alleging the website is being held “hostage” by an “outside vendor” contracted to provide advertising management services – and presumably hosting services – in exchange for a cut of the website’s online advertising revenues, Snopes staff have turned to the public to assist with the sudden and unexpected funding shortfall.

“Our legal team is fighting hard for us, but, having been cut off from all revenue, we are facing the prospect of having no financial means to continue operating the site and paying our staff (not to mention covering our legal fees) in the meanwhile,” Snopes’ plea reads.

The “outside vendor” has reportedly retained monies owed to Snopes through advertisements displayed across the website. Efforts to place alternative advertisements on the site, a function Snopes staff have realized is under the sole control of said vendor, have been ineffective. The ability to publish content and maintain the website’s data integrity remains unaffected.

A GoFundMe fundraising campaign launched on July 25 has thus far raised US$612,000, or approximately CAD$766,000. The initial funding goal was set at US$500,000.

Snopes, known mostly for investigating whether popular rumours, myths, or political claims are fact or fiction, was founded in 1994 and has grown to become one of the most popular fact-checking resources on the Internet. Snopes was also selected as one of several organizations tasked with vetting real or ‘fake news’ for the Facebook social media platform.

However, in the run-up to the 2016 US election and in a post-election political climate, Snopes has fielded accusations related to partisan tendencies. Detractors claim the website’s staff, several of whom self-identify as politically left-leaning, focus on content that favours a left-wing point of view, particularly in relation to politically-themed information. Snopes denies the accusations. VV

The full Snopes letter to its supporters is reproduced below.

SNOPES.COM COMMUNITY: WE NEED YOUR HELP
Snopes.com in Danger of Shuttering

Dear Readers,

Snopes.com, which began as a small one-person effort in 1994 and has since become one of the Internet’s oldest and most popular fact-checking sites, is in danger of closing its doors.  So, for the first time in our history, we are turning to you, our readership, for help.

Since our inception, we have always been a self-sustaining site that provides a free service to the online world: we've had no sponsors, no outside investors or funding, and no source of revenue other than that provided by online advertising. Unfortunately, we have been cut off from our historic source of advertising income.

We had previously contracted with an outside vendor to provide certain services for Snopes.com. That contractual relationship ended earlier this year, but the vendor will not acknowledge the change in contractual status and continues to essentially hold the Snopes.com web site hostage. Although we maintain editorial control (for now), the vendor will not relinquish the site’s hosting to our control, so we cannot modify the site, develop it, or — most crucially — place advertising on it. The vendor continues to insert their own ads and has been withholding the advertising revenue from us. 

Our legal team is fighting hard for us, but, having been cut off from all revenue, we are facing the prospect of having no financial means to continue operating the site and paying our staff (not to mention covering our legal fees) in the meanwhile.

As misinformation has increasingly threatened democracies around the world (including our own), Snopes.com has stood in the forefront of fighting for truth and dispelling misinformation online. It is vital that these efforts continue, so we are asking the Snopes.com community to donate what they can. (Our suggested donation is $10, but if you can give more please consider doing so — every little bit helps.)

We need our community now more than ever, as it is only through your support that Snopes.com can remain the community and resource we all know and love.

 

Sincerely yours,
Team Snopes.