I just sent a check to snopes.com

Apparently it never occurred to this anonymous emailer to cite even one alleged instance of Snopes.com promulgating "half-truths" or "lies" under the guise of valid information. So much for the email's credibility.

That such a scurrilous attack should be mounted against the oldest and most popular fact-checking site on the Web in the waning days of an election year characterized from beginning to end by baseless Internet smears is doubly ironic.

Let's examine the unsupported accusations.

Is the owner of Snopes.com a liberal?

Is it true that "Snopes.com is owned by a flaming liberal" and that "this man is in the tank for Obama"?

Well, first off, Snopes.com is owned by two people, not one. They are husband and wife David and Barbara Mikkelson.

Second, the Mikkelsons' political views are between them and the ballot box. I don't know what they are; you don't know what they are; certainly the author of this email doesn't know what they are. According to a boilerplate statement issued by the site, "Neither of the operators of Snopes.com has any affiliation with, has ever made a donation to, or has ever publicly expressed support for any political party or candidate."

Anyone who has proof to the contrary should come out with it.

...

TruthorFiction.com has condemned this anonymous attack against Snopes.com and lauded the website as an "excellent" and "authoritative" resource.

What's ironic about the claim that TruthorFiction.com is more reliable than Snopes is that when you compare the contents of the two, their findings rarely diverge in any substantive way (does that mean TruthorFiction.com is biased too?).

Where the sites do differ is in the depth and quality of their coverage. On Snopes.com the Mikkelsons go to great lengths to address the finer details of each text. They supply critical analysis, as well as background and contextual information. They cite sources.

Not to disparage TruthorFiction.com owner Rich Buhler -- who does maintain an up-to-date and generally trustworthy resource -- but by comparison his analyses tend to be perfunctory, and his sourcing minimal at best.

Snopes.com boasts a 12-year record of providing accurate, dependable information and analysis, and in that time has earned the confidence of the media, government agencies, the business community, and the general public alike.

Given all of the above, Snopes is surely the preferable resource.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/internet/a/snopes_exposed.htm


Rich Buhler, the founder of truthorfiction.com, is also known as "the father of modern Christian talk radio." He is a pro-life activist and supporter of and fund raiser for the notorious Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue. In 1993, Terry advocated hatred and intolerance as tools in achieving a Christian theocracy in the United States. He was quoted in the Fort Wayne Indiana News-Sentinel on August 16, 1993:
"I want you to just let a wave of intolerance wash over you. I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over you. Yes, hate is good.... Our goal is a Christian nation. We have a Biblical duty, we are called by God, to conquer this country. We don't want equal time. We don't want pluralism." In 2003, Terry became the spokesman for Terri Schiavo's parents and was in the news as "Terri's Law" was passed in Florida. He continued as the Schindler's spokesman as the struggle rose to the level of national crisis and Schiavo's death in March 2005.

...

Veteran broadcaster, author, and speaker Rich Buhler is returning to the microphone to host his pioneering radio program Talk From the Heart on KBRT-AM 740 in Los Angeles.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled,” Buhler told ANS. “Talk From the Heart was a treasure and to be returning to KBRT and the Crawford Broadcasting Company feels like coming back home.”

The program is heard from 3:00 to 5:00 pm Pacific Time daily on KBRT (www.kbrt740.com)

Buhler is regarded by many as the father of modern Christian talk radio. Talk From the Heart became a sensation when it came on the air on KBRT in 1981 and was the spark that ignited similar daily commercial programs on Christian stations across the country.

Buhler has not hosted a daily program for 10 years, an absence that was by his own choice.

“I was faced with having to deal with a very serious family issue,” he said. “One of the results was that my marriage ended in divorce. The overwhelming pain of that took several years to heal for both me and my family but God took us through it and was there at every step.”

Buhler said that he is very grateful for the support of his pastor, his friends, and his family.

"I'm returning to the program with a fresh understanding of God’s grace and redemption," he continued. “I have preached for many years about God’s ability to redeem the worst that happens in our lives, but am living it more than ever before and I’ll shout from the housetops about God’s faithfulness.”

Buhler has a long background in media and ministry. He has been in radio since he was 17 years old. He started at an FM radio station in downtown Los Angeles and went from there to the pioneering all-news radio station KFWB and was part of the team that helped bring it from rock-and-roll to all-news. He also worked for CBS at KNX “Newsradio," also in Los Angeles.

A graduate of Biola University, Rich experienced a powerful spiritual renewal in the 1970’s that took him into full-time ministry. He was on the staffs of several churches including 7-years as the senior pastor of a church in Long Beach, California.

In 1981 he created Talk From the Heart on KBRT and that led to 15-years behind the microphone on a daily basis.

Buhler is the creator of
http://www.TruthOrFiction.com,
a web site that researches Internet stories, hoaxes, and urban legends. He is the author of several books including the best-sellers Love, No Strings Attached and Pain and Pretending, which have become popular among those who are dealing with the effects of emotional injury.

He is an award-winning speaker, producer, and performer who has won honors from numerous organizations including Toastmaster’s International and Religion In Media. He has also been presented with two honorary doctorates from Biola University and the Trinity College of Graduate Studies.

Rich and his wife Dianne have been married for four years and make their home in Southern California where they enjoy their combined families of 10 adult children and 11 grandchildren.

A personal note from Dan Wooding When I first moved to Southern California (with my family) in 1982 to be media director for Open Doors USA, one of my first jobs was to take Brother Andrew – God’s Smuggler – to KBRT’s studios then in Century City to be interviewed by Rich Buhler. I was deeply impressed with Buhler’s professionalism and caring attitude and, over the years, until he quit, he was the unchallenged king of Christian talk radio in Southern California. His many friends will welcome him back with great joy. Rich interviewed myself and Bruce Sonnenberg from Mexico City at AIDS 2008 while he was “guest hosting” for Talk from the Heart and it was so refreshing to talk with an old friend and thorough professional. Welcome back Rich!

http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2008/s08080087.htm