Friday, December 09, 2016

Breitbart loses German advertisers as the site makes plans to impact the elections in that country.

Courtesy of the LA Times: 

After recent decisions by companies such as the Kellogg Co. and Allstate to pull their ads, a number of German companies have followed suit, including BMW, Deutsche Telekom and the restaurant chain Vapiano. 

Deutsche Telekom is the parent company of wireless carrier T-Mobile. 

A spokesman for BMW of North America said that the carmaker doesn’t advertise on Breitbart directly and only individuals who specifically expressed an interest in the brand and then visited the Breitbart site would have received an ad from BMW. 

“We continuously review sites where individually targeted ads are available and Breitbart is no longer among them,” the company said in a statement. 

Deutsche Telekom said in a separate statement that “we have had our advertising removed from [Breitbart] and have block listed them, to ensure that no further Deutsche Telekom ads appear there. Deutsche Telekom stands for values such as tolerance and openness and we do not condone any discriminatory acts or comments.”

Breitbart has recently suggested that they will be expanding into Germany, and have already written multiple posts critical of Chancellor Merkel.

However good this news might seem, I recently learned that Breitbart is actually supported by some wealthy right wing donors, and does not rely solely on advertising dollars:  

Breitbart refuses to release revenue figures, although pundits suspect that its advertising streams are not big enough to sustain its current operations in America and Britain. It is financed by private backers, notably Robert Mercer, a hedge-fund billionaire and a big donor to Mr Trump’s campaign, who reportedly invested $10m in the site a few years ago. Yet compared with traditional media, its overheads are small: a few opinionated journalists, some interns and readers who fill up the comments page at no extra cost. 

Breitbart’s ad revenues, such as they are, could prove volatile. Its content is frequently toxic: its comment section is a platform for members of far-right hate groups to rail against immigration and Jews.

This means that Breitbart is not hampered by any potential financial concerns as they spread hate, racism, and Islamophobia at will.

So long as they please their wealthy benefactors there is no down side to attacking liberals in this country or others, and despite their new ties to the president elect there are no signs that they intend to change their tactics one little bit.

In fact there is every indication that they plan to become even more aggressive in attacking politicians like Angela Merkel, and promoting politicians more in line with their world view.

Is anybody else having flashes from "The Boys From Brazil?"

16 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:05 AM

    The Germans are not as stupid as we Americans seem to be. I wish them luck in fighting evil people such as Breitbart, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous3:15 AM

    It is sad that some wealthy people choose to spend their money spreading hate instead of doing something good.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I wonder if their charming little website is going to get goated soon? Or, at the very least hacked?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's possible it could get blocked a lá the Chinese.

      The Germans are intolerant of nazi hate. They could legally have Breitbart blocked in Germany.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous4:13 AM

    This is something new. We should all be horrified at the role that Russia had in messing with our election. Now, an American business entity, with a history of playing noxious games in our elections (think Acorn, for example, eight years ago to say nothing of its lies and smear campaign just weeks ago here), has a presence in the incoming White House, and is actively interfering with an election in a foreign country, indeed in a foreign country that is one of our allies. The sole purpose of the Breitbart interference can be to destabilize the role of traditional US allies to Russia's advantage. It is geo-politics at its worst, a political nightmare for all of us. Because of the closeness of Bannon and Trump, one cannot dismiss the role of the president elect in this unfolding international crime.
    Beaglemom

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous5:20 AM

    I would love to see who is behind the money for Brietbart. It's always follow the money....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:51 AM

      Eric Von Trump?

      Delete
    2. Robert Mercer. He got Steve Bannon hired by Trump since he also donated a lot of money to Trump's campaign.

      You pay, you get to play.

      I think Mercer was responsible for a few other picks as well. DeVos?

      Delete
  6. Anonymous5:50 AM

    Should Germany now fear the United States of America as an enemy? Not yet an enemy combatant but an enemy nation who employs a Neo-Nazi/KKK/alt-right sympathizer former Breitbart employee within an earshot of the second most dangerous man in the world? Putin would be the most dangerous man and his puppet being the second.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous6:31 AM



    RUSSIAN SYMPATHIZER / AGENT AS USA SECRETARY OF STATE?

    Not saying he is but this new Secretary of State contender has some interesting ties to Trump and Putin.

    Another question would be is this new Secretary of State contender, the EXXONMOBIL chairman, a threat to the Water Protectors? His interest may be in seeing the Dakota Pipeline continue on course without interruptions.

    The new Secretary of State can now be a man whose company is based in dozens of countries across six continents and has had business dealings in Russia, Yemen and other hot spots


    FOX News:
    TRUMP TRANSITION

    ExxonMobil chief's stock rises in Trump secretary of state search

    ExxonMobil Chairman Rex Tillerson’s stock is rising in Donald Trump’s ever-expanding search for a secretary of state nominee, according to a source close to the president-elect – though Fox News is told other big names remain in the mix.

    Trump met earlier this week with Tillerson, whose company is based in dozens of countries across six continents and has had business dealings in Russia, Yemen and other hot spots. A source close to Trump said the president-elect was impressed with Tillerson, and the two men are likely to meet again in the coming days.

    Senior adviser Kellyanne Conway, speaking Friday with “Fox & Friends,” acknowledged the field has “widened,” and said the final decision will factor in whether a prospective nominee will adhere to “the Trump doctrine” and is willing to “execute on his vision.”

    “You’re just talking about a very diverse group,” Conway said, without commenting on who may be the favorite at this stage.

    .... Should he become America's top diplomat, he will have a pay cut and complicated financial situation to sort out. Tillerson reportedly makes more than $40 million per year and owns more than $100 million of stock in a company that has holdings and dealings throughout the world....

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous6:37 AM

    WHAT IS THE TRUMP DOCTRINE?

    Make America Dependent On Putin and or Trump?

    Re: Secretary of State-
    Senior adviser Kellyanne Conway, speaking Friday with “Fox & Friends,” acknowledged the field has “widened,” and said the final decision will factor in whether a prospective nominee will adhere to “the Trump doctrine” and is willing to “execute on his vision.”

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous6:46 AM

    Call in the excavators pronto, the swamp needs to be widened!

    Why would the EXXONMOBIL chairman take a paycut? Unless like Trump he has personal interests brewing in other untapped markets and countries?

    FOX AND FRIENDS:
    Should he become America's top diplomat, he will have a pay cut and complicated financial situation to sort out. Tillerson reportedly makes more than $40 million per year and owns more than $100 million of stock in a company that has holdings and dealings throughout the world.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:54 AM

      Stupid question, will this guy sell his stocks to show Americans his interest is in Making America Great Again and not for personal gain?

      Delete
  10. Anonymous6:49 AM

    Hot new Christmas present. Be prepared or get left behind.

    The Russian Rosetta Stone

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous7:01 AM

    #WakeUpAmerica

    ReplyDelete
  12. Breitbart better be very, very careful.

    The Germans take white supremacist very seriously and won't tolerate anything approaching the rise of Nazi-ism.

    It's possible Breitbart could cross legal lines in Germany if they're not careful. They can't just assume that if they do it here they can do it there.

    They are likely to find a huge backlash against the shit they pulled here, having the exact opposite effect they expected.

    ReplyDelete

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