In 1933, Soviet atrocities were considered fake news.

Fall 2017 Insider

In 1933, Soviet atrocities were considered fake news.

Oct 9, 2017 1 min read

In 1932-1933, at least 3 million Ukrainians died of starvation as a result of deliberate policies of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. New York Times correspondent Walter Duranty knew the real story, but instead of reporting it, he smeared the work of reporters who did. He wrote: “Any report of a famine in Russia is today an exaggeration or malignant propaganda.” Based on Duranty’s reports, the U.S. government decided to normalize relations with the Soviet Union in November 1933.

Fake news is old news, but we’ve had a solution for it since the Founding: The First Amendment. To learn more, read our feature beginning at page 34.