California Gov. Newsom Plans New Agency To Combat Right-Wing News 'Misinformation'

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans to create a state agency designed to combat what is defined as misinformation coming from conservative-focused news channels including Fox FOX, Newsmax and One America News.

What Happened: Deadline reported Newsom is seeking to create the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications as part of his proposed 2022-23 budget.

During a press conference, the governor defined the agency as “a strategic partnership unit and a communications unit” designed to “support and amplify local and community-based partnerships” with the goal of offering what he viewed as countering the conservative news sources.

Newsom berated One America News for being “perhaps one of the great disinformation networks in America” for spreading “a lot of misinformation” about the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that the other major broadcasters in this media sector were equally at fault for putting out incorrect information.

“I’m not just referring to Newsmax or the primetime propaganda lineup at Fox News and all of their pundits that safely have been boosted, fully vaxxed that continue to promote a lot of misinformation,” he said. “Forgive me for being so pointed and candid. People are quite literally losing their lives.”

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Why It Happened: Newsom cited an example of former Washington State Trooper Robert LaMay, who refused to be vaccinated and was fired from his job in October after more than 20 years on duty. LaMay created a viral sensation on his last day on duty when he put a video online telling Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to “kiss my ass.”

LaMay was praised by Fox News host Laura Ingraham for awakening what she described as “a sleeping giant” of vaccine resistance. LaMay later contracted COVID and died last month from the disease.

“There was a tragic example,” Newsom said. “A state trooper in Washington state quit, and quit because he just couldn’t take it anymore and lost his life because of those propaganda networks, because of what was being stated and spread.”

Photo: Gage Skidmore / Flickr Creative Commons