Dallas Express (established 2021)

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This article is about the website launched in 2021. For the historical Black-owned newspaper, see Dallas Express.
Dallas Express
Dallas Express 2021 logo.png
TypeDaily newspaper
PublisherMonty Bennett
Founded2021; 1 year ago (2021)
LanguageEnglish
HeadquartersDallas, Texas, United States
WebsiteOfficial website

The Dallas Express is a regional news website based in Dallas, Texas, and published by hotel executive Monty Bennett.[1] Journalists and researchers have reported that the Dallas Express is a part of a network of right-wing "pink slime" news websites.[2][3][1]

History[]

In early 2021, the Dallas Express was operated by the Metric Media Network, which owns hundreds of other news sites in the United States.[3][4] In February 2021, Monty Bennett, a Dallas hotel executive, re-launched the Dallas Express.[1] In October 2020, Bennett had been named in a New York Times article which alleged he paid a network of pink-slime news outlets operated by Brian Timpone, the operator of Metric Media, to disseminate multiple articles about topics ranging from COVID-19 stimulus legislation to US–China policy.[5][6] After the controversy around Bennett's companies' receipt of COVID-19 loans, Bennett allegedly paid the network to run positive articles about himself, and negative articles about creditors to whom his businesses owed debts.[6][2] Timpone sent a cease and desist letter to the New York Times, demanding they not publish their discoveries about Bennett's alleged payment for articles.[6] Bennett also asserted via his lawyer to D Magazine, who had referred to the New York Times investigation in an article published that same month, that he had never paid for stories to be published by Metric Media.[7] In June 2021, D Magazine reported that Bennett had "decided to ditch the middleman" by taking over publishing the Dallas Express.[5]

The contemporary Dallas Express is a distinct entity from the Dallas Express that operated from 1892 to 1970, which was a progressive Black-owned newspaper.[3][1][8]

Content[]

On Bennett's February re-launch of the new Dallas Express, he wrote in a note to readers that the publication "was created for one purpose; to help make our city a better place. That's it. It's a nonprofit operation and there's no other agenda."[8] The newspaper's content has been described by outside journalists as right-wing.[1][5] The Dallas Express has been reported to be part of a network of right-wing "pink slime" websites by Columbia Journalism Review,[2] D Magazine,[3] and The Dallas Weekly.[1] Pink-slime journalism is a practice in which websites disguise themselves as local news, but actually use automation to generate news stories that promote partisan agendas.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Monacelli, Steven (February 12, 2021). "Formerly Black Owned Dallas Express Resurrected As Right Wing Propaganda Site". Dallas Weekly. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Bengani, Priyanjana (October 14, 2021). "Advocacy groups and Metric Media collaborate on local 'community news'". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Rogers, Tim (January 13, 2021). "Dallas Express, Historic Black-Owned Newspaper, Has Become Dubious News Site". D Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-08-17. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Bengani, Priyanjana (December 18, 2019). "Hundreds of 'pink slime' local news outlets are distributing algorithmic stories and conservative talking points". Columbia Journalism Review. Archived from the original on 2019-12-18. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Simek, Peter (June 2021). "The Real Story Behind the Dallas Express". D Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-06-11. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Alba, Davey; Nicas, Jack (October 18, 2020). "As Local News Dies, a Pay-for-Play Network Rises in Its Place". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  7. ^ Rogers, Tim (May 28, 2021). "An Editor's Note About Monty Bennett". D Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-05-28. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Rogers, Tim (February 24, 2021). "Monty Bennett and 'Dallas Express' Appear to Have Major Conflict of Interest". D Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-02-24. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
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