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Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: What is this thing?
  

  A: This site is dedicated to bringing you the latest breaking news mentioning illegal drugs. It is especially focused on drug policy. It continually scours the web for such news. more>>

• Q: Why are all those words highlighted?
  

  A: Those words and phrases are highlighted because those are key words in the article the newsbot thought were important to notice. Propaganda-related terms are colored red, cannabis-related words and phrases in green, and so on.

• Q: So, that means every article having red keywords is "propaganda"?
  

  A: Highlighted words in the article are words which are associated with propaganda themes. But keyword analysis alone cannot determine if a given article is to be considered "propaganda". Rather, the presence of many key words helps indicate the focus of the article.
  That said, propagandistic articles do tend to have more propaganda-related (red) key words and phrases. However, articles which critically analyze propagandistic articles, may themselves have even more such key words.

• Q: Is that a graphic icon of Hitler? Don't you know the first one to mention Hitler or the Nazis, automatically loses the argument?
  

  A: Here's why we feel the analogy is apropos. more>>

• Q: By your selection of terms associated with, for example, propaganda_theme1, you seem to imply drug prohibitionists (those who favor arresting and imprisoning drug users) "are racist, xenophobic, and fear-mongering". Do you really mean to say such extreme things?
  

  A: The newsbot does highlight, and focus on, such prohibitionist rhetoric. The more extreme the prohibitionist rhetoric used, the more this newsbot will glom on to the key words and phrases used.

• Q: Is propaganda_theme6, for example, intended to group documents in which DrugSense opponents demonize drug reformers?
  

  A: Propaganda themes 1 through 7 deal with documents in which prohibitionists disparage drug users in general.
  The propaganda_theme8 concept (dissent attacked) is the one intended to group documents in which prohibitionists denounce drug reformers.