A Yahoo News post on X, formerly known as Twitter, has ignited controversy by leveling criticism, in the form of “fake news”, at Jimmy Donaldson, the popular YouTuber known as MrBeast.
However, this attempt to portray Donaldson negatively has drawn widespread backlash, revealing a complex web of criticism and hypocrisy against those who aimed to tarnish his philanthropic image.
The Yahoo News post appears to have been originally crafted as a hit piece against the philanthropist-vlogger.
It accused Donaldson of shaming the Kenyan government and perpetuating stereotypes about Africa’s dependency on aid, stating, “While American YouTuber MrBeast’s goal was to provide clean drinking water for 500,000 people, activists say his actions shamed the Kenyan government and helped perpetuate the stereotype that Africa is ‘dependent on handouts.'”
However, readers quickly recognized inaccuracies in the Yahoo News post and the original article published by CNN.
Yahoo News, an aggregate website that compiles news stories from various sources, and the viral article was initially penned by CNN writers.
X’s Community Notes, a feature on the platform, played a crucial role in shedding light on the situation.
A reader added valuable context to the story, stating, “The two people deriding MrBeast are (1) a Kenyan politician, and (2) a woman who founded a 501c3 based in Cambridge Massachusetts that raised $131k in 2020 and spent $83,000 on themselves.”
The sensationalism surrounding CNN’s story against Donaldson, later amplified by Yahoo News, sparked widespread criticism from a global audience, with one X user commenting, “These captured ‘news’ sources are parody at this point.”
Another user remarked, “If an American YouTuber is doing a better job than your government at providing for you, it might be time to consider why that is.”
“This is rage bait by a mainstream news org. Shameful,” posted another X user.
Both CNN and Yahoo News have faced allegations of spreading fake news and propaganda in recent years, and this incident has added fuel to that fire.
The CNN article, which criticized MrBeast’s latest video documenting his efforts to build 100 wells across Africa, garnered a complex response.
It suggested that Kenyan activists and journalists believed he spotlighted the failures of the Kenyan government.
However, the crux of the matter lies in the details, as the individuals deriding the YouTuber turned out to be a Kenyan politician and Saran Kaba Jones, the founder and CEO of FACE Africa, an organization that claims to work on improving water infrastructure and sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa.
The controversy escalated as Andi, an X user, exposed the inaccuracy, commenting, “It’s really a hoot for this woman to complain that the white guy got more attention when nearly 40% of every dollar she raised went directly into her pocket instead of, you know, the children of Kenya.”
Donaldson’s philanthropic efforts are extensive, with his latest video showcasing the building of wells to provide clean drinking water for up to 500,000 people across Cameroon, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
A corresponding fundraiser to support local water aid organizations had raised more than $300,000 by Monday morning.
In the video, Donaldson is also seen donating supplies to Kenyan schools, including new furniture, soccer balls, computers, whiteboards, and projectors.
He built a bridge across a river to connect a village with local schools and hospitals safely and donated bikes to a village in Zimbabwe to help children access education.
In the CNN story, Jones expressed her frustration, saying, “I’ve been doing this for 15 years, but we’ve been struggling to continue the work because funding, awareness, and advocacy all take work.”
She added, “overnight, this person comes along, who happens to be a white male figure with a huge platform, and all of a sudden, he gets all of the attention. It’s kind of frustrating, but it’s also understanding the nature of how the world is.”
The other critic, Francis Gaitho, an aspiring Kenyan politician, criticized Donaldson’s video, claiming it perpetuated the stereotype that Africa is “dependent on handouts and philanthropic intervention,” though Gaitho’s comments also faced criticism of their own.
Donaldson is the most popular individual creator on YouTube, boasting more than 200 million subscribers.
He has become renowned for his philanthropic endeavors, sponsoring cataract surgery for 1,000 blind people and providing prosthetic limbs for 2,000 amputees.
Such initiatives have helped him build a business empire potentially worth more than $1 billion and earned him recognition as one of the most influential people in 2023, as acknowledged by Time magazine.
The Daily Netizen 