BBC Homepage
  • Skip to content
  • Accessibility Help
  • Your account
  • Notifications
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • More menu
More menu
Search BBC
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
Close menu
BBC News
Menu
  • Home
  • InDepth
  • Israel-Gaza war
  • War in Ukraine
  • Climate
  • UK
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Culture
More
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Health
  • Family & Education
  • In Pictures
  • Newsbeat
  • BBC Verify
  • Disability
  • BBC Trending

Fact-checking site gets lifeline after donation drive

  • Published
    25 July 2017
Share page
About sharing
The GoFundMe page for Snopes.comImage source, GoFundMe/Snopes.com
BySam Bright
BBC Trending

One of the most established myth-busting websites raised more than $500,000 from public donations in a single day after becoming embroiled in a bitter legal dispute.

Long before "fake news" became a common refrain, there was Snopes. The site was established in 1994 with the aim of debunking internet conspiracy theories and is now visited by millions each month.

But recently the site has run into significant problems. Snopes claims that its funding stream has been blocked by the agency that controls its online advertising. An open letter, external posted on the website yesterday claimed that its advertising revenue, its only source of income, had been cut off - leaving Snopes without enough money to pay staff and legal costs.

The dispute revolves around Proper Media, an advertising agency that started providing website development services to Snopes in 2015.

You might also like:

  • The rise of left-wing, anti-Trump fake news

  • What is Standing Rock and why are 1.4m 'checking in' there?

  • Iranian TV presenter uncovered

In July 2016, Proper Media bought 50% of Snopes' parent company, called Bardav. However, relations between Snopes and Proper Media broke down in March 2017, and Snopes founder David Mikkelson cancelled the contract between the two companies. According to Mikkelson, Proper Media has refused to recognise the termination of this agreement, and continues to post adverts on Snopes without sharing the revenue.

Mikkelson told BBC Trending: "Proper Media has no valid legal grounds for contesting the perfectly legal cancellation of a contract - one that they themselves drafted."

He claims that the contract contains the express provision that either party can cancel it at any time, for any reason. However, Proper Media believes that Mikkelson does not have the authority to cancel their agreement, because he is not the company's sole director.

The contract dispute is one of a number of claims and counterclaims flying back and forth between the two sides.

In response to the dispute and the ad revenue block, Mikkelson set up a GoFundMe crowdfunding page, external with a target of $500,000. The site achieved this figure at 15:00 BST Tuesday - approximately 24 hours after the campaign was launched. Roughly 18,000 donors have jumped to its rescue.

Many supporters took to Twitter - encouraging others to donate using the hashtag #SaveSnopes:

Twitter user calling for people to #SaveSnopesImage source, @wrkngbrkfst

BBC Trending has approached Proper Media for comment.

Estimates, external suggest that Snopes' operating costs are close to $100,00 a month. Given the added pressure of legal fees, the financial position of the company still seems uncertain. A court in San Diego is due to hear the competing claims on 4 August.

Blog by Sam Bright

You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, external, and find us on Facebook, external.

Top stories

  • Live. 

    Families pay tribute to courage of victims who kept out synagogue attacker

    • 9766 viewing9.8k viewing
  • Synagogue attacker was on bail after rape arrest

    • Published
      2 hours ago
  • I saw evil as attacker tried to barge into synagogue, rabbi tells BBC

    • Published
      2 hours ago

More to explore

  • What we know about Manchester synagogue attack

    Worshippers gather near the scene of the attack
  • Dame Patricia Routledge: The life of TV's magnificently snobby 'Hyacinth Bucket'

    Patricia Routledge
  • Taylor Swift feared happiness could 'dry up' her songwriting

    Taylor Swift on the Graham Norton Show, wearing a black dress with a jewelled neckband and smiling, against a purple backdrop
  • Why we struggle to protect the young from conspiracy theorist parents

    A treated image showing Kate Shemirani on the left and Paloma on the right
  • Is it a cold, flu or Covid – and how to avoid the worst

    A woman outside in a grey wool hat and green jumper blows her nose on a tissue.
  • Behind the Gen Z protesters who want to force Madagascar's president from power

    Masked protesters wearing wearing black glasses and and caps pose on a street
  • 'It was very tough but I love life' - ex-hostage whose family were killed on 7 October

    Portrait of Eli Sharabi in a black shirt with a yellow ribbon lapel pin, sitting in a room with largely neutral colours
  • Weekly quiz: Who said 'I do' to Selena Gomez?

    Selena Gomez, a young woman with dark hair, wears a sleeveless, high-necked white wedding gown and is smiling. Her veil is up.
  • News Daily: Our flagship daily newsletter delivered to your inbox first thing, with all the latest headlines

    A promo promoting the News Daily newsletter - a graphic of an orange sphere with two concentric crescent shapes around it in a red-orange gradient, like a sound wave.
loading elsewhere stories

Most read

  1. 1

    Synagogue attacker was on bail after rape arrest

  2. 2

    Dad given life for killing baby son in hospital

  3. 3

    Storm Amy danger warnings as 100mph winds recorded

  4. 4

    Lammy told 'shame on you' by attack vigil crowd

  5. 5

    Keeping Up Appearances star Patricia Routledge dies at 96

  6. 6

    Bonehead out of Oasis tour after cancer diagnosis

  7. 7

    Climbing star, 23, dies after falling from Yosemite's El Capitan

  8. 8

    Sarah Mullally named as new Archbishop of Canterbury

  9. 9

    Tax wealthiest to end rip-off Britain, says Green leader

  10. 10

    Trump gives Hamas Sunday deadline to accept Gaza peace plan

BBC News Services

  • On your mobile
  • On smart speakers
  • Get news alerts
  • Contact BBC News

Best of the BBC

  • Alan Partridge returns with a 'brave' new project

    • Attribution
      iPlayer

    Added to Watchlist
    How Are You? It's Alan (Partridge) has been added to your iPlayer Watchlist.
    How Are You? It's Alan (Partridge)
  • Dragons' Den returns with more hopeful entrepreneurs

    • Attribution
      iPlayer

    Added to Watchlist
    Dragons' Den has been added to your iPlayer Watchlist.
    Dragons' Den
  • A heartfelt comedy exploring adoption and parenthood

    • Attribution
      iPlayer

    Added to Watchlist
    Trying has been added to your iPlayer Watchlist.
    Trying
  • What drives young women to risk it all in the MMA cage?

    • Attribution
      iPlayer

    Added to Watchlist
    Girl Fight has been added to your iPlayer Watchlist.
    Girl Fight
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • Terms of Use
  • About the BBC
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Accessibility Help
  • Parental Guidance
  • Contact the BBC
  • Make an editorial complaint
  • BBC emails for you

Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.