The Viral Spiral of 2010*: 
Bogus chain e-mails, blog postings and press releases
They tend to contain indignant, outraged messages that are nearly always false and often malicious. They are the viral emails, anonymous blog postings and trumped up media reports that are the angry flipside of the amazing advancements in technology that have redefined what we know.
The Problem is Prevasive
We are by no means the only organization having to deal with these issues. The US Air Force recently released its game plan for dealing with the Internet rumour mill. Indeed, today nearly every large or mid-size non-profit has dedicated significant resources to the issue.
Our Strategy
Claims made in cyber-space, including the transmission of misinformation and in some cases “disinformation”, are swift, extensive, hard to stop and ultimately impossible to eradicate. The cumulative effect of false or misleading statements — amplified by thousands of anonymous message boards creates an Internet din that we simply do not have the resources to adequately police.
Our strategy thus far has been to stay focused on producing excellent programming and allow fair-minded people to judge for themselves the merit of what we do.
Correcting False Claims
We will always make the time to answer any of your questions. It remains our ethical obligation to the public and to those who have supported us to conduct our activities with accountability and transparency. We will continue to do so.
Responding with the Truth
In the past, both politicians and journalists have made misleading statements about the organization. Given the nature of today’s “blogsphere” culture, these misrepresentations have inevitably been repeated far and wide over the internet - recklessly propagated over the cybersphere with little concern for the veracity of the claims.
Fact-Checking
Many news reports and press releases feed that brief window of time known as the “news cycle”. Long after the media has moved on, facts that were inadvertently – or intentionally omitted – eventually do catch up. Our responses to various misrepresentations are offered below.
The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Board or members of the Advisory Council.
The facts presented have and will stand on their own merit.
Ronald Campbell of the Orange County Register
Montgomery County Commissioner Douglas Duncan (Maryland)
Missouri’s Jay Nixon
Reporter Christine Haas
*Phrase coinage and some definitions credited to Factcheck.