Photo Illustration by: Nick Zalle ’23
Front cover of the Grand Canyon Times, a ‘local’ newspaper, which pushes out false facts and data.
Local Arizona newspaper, The Grand Canyon Times, published a paper identical to those produced by North Cook News, West Cook News and the Chicago City Wire. All four papers are part of the same fraudulent news organization, the Local Government Information Services (LGIS), that is run by the conservative radio host and Illinois governor Dan Proft.
The Grand Canyon Times is an affiliate of Metric Media, and according to The Daily Beast, Metric Media “runs at least 15 other local-sounding outlets in Arizona, including the North Pima News and the Tucson Standard.”
On the cover of the paper, there is a website called “savingarizona.us.” Saving Arizona is a super PAC in support of senatorial candidate Blake Masters.
Dan Proft was an editor for the Chicago Tribune, and he is an extremist talk show host on his own Dan Proft Show. His group of fraudulent newspapers received funding and support from billionaire and Paypal founder Peter Thiel.
The paper publicizes false quotes from political leaders such as Blake Masters and Senator Mark Kelly. The paper also creates false ties between a radical environmentalist groups like the League of Conservation Voters and the current senatorial candidate Mark Kelly.
In a story titled “Criticizes Kelly for being soft on border control,” multiple claims were only backed by extreme right-wing websites such as the Republican National Lawyer Association.
The back-page sports section contains a variety of misinformation, showing a lack of attention to detail. Former Brophy alumni and athletes Benjamin Morrison ’22 and Andre Eden ’20 are featured on the page that has incorrect game times and athlete years.