A report states that lawmakers in Kansas have proposed a bill to black out the show Cosmos because it is a “liberal brainwashing program.” Is this real or fake?
The story is fake.
It was published by the fake news website National Report, and has been shared in large numbers by angry readers who are unaware that the article is not real. In the fake post we read:
“…the controversy revolving around the show might reach climactic new heights, as several State senators in Kansas will propose a bill on Thursday that would force Fox affiliates in their state to black out the science show completely.”
The outlandish nature of the article becomes apparent when “quotes” by lawmakers are included, including one that describes the show as a “liberal brainwashing program.”
The fake story was perhaps inspired by the real report that creationist groups had complained about the FOX reboot of the old Carl Sagan series, which has focused on the theory of evolution.
There have been, however, no attempts to black out the show in Kansas or any other state.
Journalist Fooled
Kirsten Powers, contributor to USA Today, Daily Beast, and Fox News was fooled by the fake article, tweeting that “Conservative Big Brother deciding what TV shows Kansas should be allowed to see.”
Bottom Line
The state of Kansas is not blacking out the show Cosmos. The report comes from a fake news website. The satire piece may have been inspired by complaints by creationist groups about the series.
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