A woman who says she was banned from the local social media website Front Porch Forum is voicing her concerns over alleged censorship and political bias.
It has been reported that the site took more than a third of a million dollars in public funds last summer, which calls into question FPF’s categorizing itself as a private media company as it pertains to free speech laws.
The woman is Wendy Wilton, she is no stranger to Vermont politics. A Republican, she served on the State Senate from 2005 to 2006, she was the GOP candidate for Vermont Treasurer in 2012, and she had been treasurer of the City of Rutland for several terms. She has numerous commentaries posted online.
In an email to VDC, she said when she tries to log in to FPF now it tells her, “You are attempting to log into a deactivated FPF account.” She wrote, “I assume I have been banned from FPF as a result of my submission.”
Her submission was itself a critique of FPF’s policies concerning what gets posted vs. what gets denied. She sent a copy to VDC.
“Most people I know in political circles are well aware of Front Porch Forum’s censorship double standard,” she wrote. “I have experienced it first-hand. Users are fully aware of how the moderation seems to work: It’s OK to demean people who lean center-right, even if they don’t post on the forum, but not OK to challenge those who express extremely liberal views.”
She continued that attempts to reason with the management have been fruitless.
“And don’t try to appeal your right to speak your mind and encourage your opinion to be published. Challenge too hard and they kick you out. Sorta like the way Twitter used to work, and Facebook still does to some degree.”
She cited a VDC story about the apparent censorship of a faith-oriented event while supporting a pro-Hamas rally as “the ultimate expression of FPF censorship.”
She questions how much user support the site will continue to garner if it keeps up these policies.
She wrote, “I also noticed that FPF is seeking donations to support its operation, yet the faith group above was willing to pay for advertising space. After the pro-Hamas rallies on college campuses, high-end donors are having second thoughts about funding their alma mater in news stories this week. I wonder how many FPF donors will continue to do so with censorship in place that favors opinions so far from the mainstream?”
She concludes, “Maybe the folks at FPF are happy as a far-left echo chamber and a garage sale marketplace, rather than a balanced community outlet to truly serve the public good. If so, perhaps FPF should change its name to something more truthful.”
Company took public money
Though officially a private company, FPF did take $361,500 in public funds via Federal Disaster Relief Funds. TechJamVt.com reported in September of last year “The Vermont Council on Rural Development has directed $300,000 in federal disaster relief funds from the Economic Development Administration to help upgrade Front Porch Forum’s capabilities.”
In a later report by Seven Days, the amount received was reported as $361,500.
According to CarnegieLibrary.org’s explanation of how 1st Amendment free speech laws work, it states that only a truly private company can refuse or censor content based on personal beliefs.
“The First Amendment only protects your speech from government censorship. It applies to federal, state, and local government actors. This is a broad category that includes not only lawmakers and elected officials but also public schools and universities, courts, and police officers. It does not include private citizens, businesses, and organizations. This means … A private media company can refuse to publish or broadcast opinions it disagrees with.”
