Dioceses slam fake Catholic newspapers seen as part of ‘pink slime’ election ploy

 

This is the front page of the Wisconsin Catholic Tribune, which was mailed to Catholic homes around the state ahead of the 2020 presidential election. A ProPublica report published Oct. 20, 2024, uncovered fake Catholic newspapers that are circulating in swing states and targeting Catholic voters in the run-up to the Nov. 5 election. The newspapers have nothing to do with the church or legitimate diocesan publications. OSV News file photo/Sam Lucero, The Compass

A number of U.S. Catholic dioceses and their bishops have issued statements disavowing fake Catholic newspapers that have resurfaced in swing states ahead of the presidential election to target Catholic voters on key issues.

The publications, which were initially produced ahead of the 2020 presidential election, highlight the rise of what communications scholars call “pink slime” journalism — while running afoul of both canon law on the use of the name “Catholic” and U.S. tax code banning churches and other tax-exempt nonprofits from engaging in partisan politics.

In an Oct. 20 article, ProPublica, an investigative journalism nonprofit, noted the resurgence of the “Catholic Tribune” in several states, including Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Those states are among the crucial swing states in the 2024 election and will determine which candidate reaches the requisite 270 electoral college votes needed to win the presidency.

The publication, issued in direct print mailers and available online, features a traditional-looking newspaper format, minus an actual masthead listing the publisher, editors and writers.

Read the rest: https://www.thecatholicspirit.com/news/nation-and-world/dioceses-slam-fake-catholic-newspapers-seen-as-part-of-pink-slime-election-ploy/