This is a very, very serious problem with the WWW. Google actually makes this problem FAR worse because Google search "results" can be dominated by paid advertising a sophisticated SEO.
The tennesseestar.com have almost a million links to it's site, but from only 10K domains. In other words, the average site ink to the tennesseestar.com has 10,000 links to it!
Who are these sites (chart below)? I have not checked, but I'd bet money many of them are also run by the same entity.
The tennesseestar.com owns search on terms like "mankato schools vote to allow extra pay for non-white teachers." Why?
Look I know this way to technical for most, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. Google's search, like social media, is a tool to keep us misinformed in filter bubbles.
Snoopes is trying to tell us, but who reads snoops to validate their sources? @nels have you? Does what they say matter to you? If not why not?
@nelsRead this article https://www.snopes.com/news/2019/03/04/activists-setup-local-news-sites/
I just now read it and see that theohiostar.com have over 39K links to the tennesseestar.com I'm pretty sure you will find connection with more of the sites listed.
The idea that site like tennesseestar.com can even rank in search, while Google has buried Black-owned newspapers in search is criminal.
We have a serious problem on our hands. Misinformation is too profitable.