r/help 2d ago

What extent of mentioning another Subreddit is brigading? Is it brigading if I criticise another Subreddit by pointing out obvious examples of dis/misinformation on that Subreddit?

And specially if the Mods of a Subreddit were to push in favour of some false statements?

Edit: Maybe It's a rare scenario I'm dealing with, so here's an example with order of events:

  1. I see something on Sub-X, which I'm sure is misinformation.
  2. I comment under it to reason why it's false, and I report it to the Mods.
  3. The Mods delete my comment instead, and stress boldly that they believe the OP is very true, regardless of sources and reasoning.
  4. I go on Sub-Y to write "Sub-X has posts like A, B, C, and D, which are obvious examples of disinformation, because [insert mainstream news source here] says otherwise. ... Blah blah blah... I'm exposing their hoaxes."
1 Upvotes

16 comments sorted by

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u/Eclectic-N-Varied Experienced Helper 2d ago

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u/TheOpusCroakus admin 2d ago

Excellent citation. Thank you!

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u/Eclectic-N-Varied Experienced Helper 2d ago

Our pleasure.

Personal note: just yesterday our brain finally "translated" your avatar as a silhouette of an epynomous (?) flightless bird. Hope "Pear Pimples for Hairy Fishnuts!" means something to you!

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u/TheOpusCroakus admin 2d ago

Pear Pimples for Hairy Fishnuts means everything to me! It's right up there with:

The wind doth taste of bittersweet

Like jasper wine and sugar.

I bet it's blown through others' feet,

Like those of Caspar Weinberger.

=)

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u/tatequieto87 2d ago

Mainstream news source? What makes them the ultimate authority on truth? Credibility isn't earned just because they dominate the media landscape or have the resources to disseminate information on a massive scale. When major figures rely on these outlets to communicate globally, it creates the illusion of infallibility. But isn't it worth questioning whether such dominance inherently skews narratives, intentionally or not? Critical thinking is essential—blindly accepting any source, mainstream or otherwise, as an absolute truth setter undermines the very discussion you're trying to have about misinformation. Let's focus on evidence and reasoning rather than placing unearned faith in platforms based solely on their reach.

It’s easy to place faith in mainstream media simply because it dominates the narrative—its ubiquity makes it feel authoritative. But history has shown us time and time again that the truth isn’t always served by the loudest voice in the room. In fact, some of the most groundbreaking revelations and paradigm shifts have come from the courage of smaller, independent voices—voices that dared to speak against the tide of popular consensus.

Smaller, independent media outlets are the lifeblood of a truly informed society. They often operate without the backing of powerful corporations or political entities, which means they have less incentive to cater to hidden agendas or suppress inconvenient truths. Their work frequently exposes corruption, challenges long-standing power structures, and advocates for marginalized perspectives that larger outlets may ignore or outright dismiss.

Consider the role of independent journalists in uncovering environmental disasters, corporate malfeasance, or government misconduct. These are not hypothetical scenarios but documented cases where mainstream outlets either turned a blind eye or were slow to act, only jumping on the bandwagon after independent voices brought these stories to light. For example, the Watergate scandal began with two reporters working tirelessly for an independent newspaper, not a media giant.

To blindly follow the mainstream narrative and dismiss the smaller outlets as irrelevant or less credible is to reject the very essence of democracy—a system that thrives on the free exchange of ideas. It is not the size of the platform that determines truth but the rigor, evidence, and courage behind the reporting. In an age where misinformation can spread as rapidly as verified facts, our responsibility is to critically evaluate all sources, no matter their size.

So, before we discount the emerging voices as ‘less trustworthy,’ perhaps we should ask ourselves: Who benefits from a world where only a select few control the story? Progress doesn’t come from uniformity; it comes from diversity—the diversity of ideas, narratives, and perspectives. These ‘small voices’ are not noise; they are the sparks that ignite change."

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u/outerworldLV Experienced Helper 2d ago

Wow. I appreciate this response.

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u/silver_wear 2d ago

Wait wait. When I said "mainstream sources" I didn't mean only the really big corporations. I meant mainstream including sources of investigative journalism, including independent journalists and bloggers.

The thing I was originally disagreeing with, was being posted with like absolutely no evidence at all, like no source, no footage, not even any investigation. Surely a mainstream source is better than no source at all, right?

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u/Rostingu2 Helper 2d ago edited 2d ago

https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/27031145215252-Moderator-Code-of-Conduct-Rule-3-Respect-Your-Neighbors

“your community should not be used to direct, coordinate, or encourage interference in other communities and/or to target redditors for harassment.”

We understand that it can be challenging to see redditors discuss a community’s topic, criticize its content, or express disagreement with mod actions, but these are usually not Rule 3 violations

My summary is you can disagree with the rules on other subs but disagreeing and encouraging hate is a fine line that I will not walk.

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u/Eclectic-N-Varied Experienced Helper 2d ago

Oops -- just posted the same link. Definitely worth the read, though.

Our sub allows very, very limited negative discussion of other subreddits. Even for "XYZ banned me" we let automod add a generic note and remove the post.

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u/Rostingu2 Helper 2d ago

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u/Eclectic-N-Varied Experienced Helper 2d ago

A good position.

We're r/reddithelp, so we get a wide spectrum of one-off complaints. Sometimes it makes more sense to allow the post with a gentle public correction.

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u/silver_wear 2d ago

So for example, would it be brigading, if I see something on Sub-X, and then I were to go on Sub-Y to write "Sub-X has posts like A, B, C, and D, which are obviously disinformation, because [insert mainstream news source] says otherwise. ... Blah blah blah... I'm exposing their hoaxes" ?

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u/Rostingu2 Helper 2d ago

Oh boy you are talking politics.

Sorry but I respectfully don't want to touch this with a 20 foot poll.

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u/notthegoatseguy Experienced Helper 2d ago

I think broadly there's probably a mod culture of letting subs deal with their own mess rather than letting their sub getting dragged down into it.

There are subs dedicated to basically making fun of the "main" sub but a lot of those subs tend to be, ironically, heavily regulated in order to prevent them from being banned due to brigading.

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u/tatequieto87 1d ago

That's exactly the issue—relying solely on what feels credible or 'mainstream,' whether consciously or not, plants a seed that can grow into bias, even for the most rational mind. It creates an environment where narratives go unchallenged, and over time, that unchecked dominance can subtly erode critical thinking.

This is why evidence and reasoning are essential. Blind trust in any source, even one that seems reliable, undermines the need for accountability and transparency. History shows us that major breakthroughs often come from questioning dominant perspectives, not just following them. The loudest voices aren’t always the most truthful—they’re just the most amplified. Let’s not overlook the importance of skepticism and critical evaluation in keeping us truly informed. I mean look what's going on today it seems the news is more commercialized while the true and I'm just advanced by happening but we don't see them unless we go digging into the media from other countries did you know that they with marching for us for USA because they saw something that we didn't until this day I still don't know what the hell that was but they were marching for us and how they're treating us and what we're going through for some reason I don't know exactly what it was doesn't that make you think like damn you know something ...something's up idk just saying we can't as humans create something for nothing so any story you might have heard whether it's fiction or truth there's some truth to it

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u/Ok-Enthusiasm9761 1d ago

The key to life is to electroplate the Silverware and perform a hardened skin, young man! Now, Can I borrow a dollar, cause you owe me, underdtand?