Fake News, Disinformation: Your Local Paper May Be This Compromised.

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The Local Echo of Global Disinformation: CJOnline, Sherman Smith, and the Shadow of “Agnostic”

In 2016, the United States was awash in disinformation. The presidential election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton became a proving ground for foreign influence operations, domestic propaganda, and the weaponization of the phrase “fake news.” While national outlets like BuzzFeed News and The Washington Post documented the rise of Macedonian and Russian fake news farms, the story of how these forces seeped into local media ecosystems remains underexplored. Fake News, Disinformation: Your Local Paper

One such case unfolded in Topeka, Kansas, at the Topeka Capital‑Journal’s digital arm, CJOnline. Behind the scenes, editors and administrators remained oblivious to the infiltration of Russian‑linked ads, the moderation of toxic comment sections occupied their time and their minds, and the shadowy presence of a toxic sysadmin known only as “Agnostic.” At the center of this drama was Sherman Smith, the paper’s digital content editor, whose posture of omniscience masked a deeper vulnerability to manipulation, and ignorance. Smith was unaware that he had become the butt of many jokes around the Capitol Journal offices, especially as he had a habit of demanding that employees drop whatever they were doing and start posting and trolling in the Readers Reaction Comments sections and attacking certain other users. Smith’s obsession with the readers reaction section, and certain users was legendary among the employees and around the office water cooler. Fake News, Disinformation: Your Local Paper might be this compromised.

The Global Fake News Machine

Veles, Macedonia: A Hub of Fake News, Disinformation: Your Local Paper

In 2016, the town of Veles, Macedonia (population ~45,000) became infamous as a global hub for pro‑Trump fake news. Teenagers and young men launched at least 140 websites targeting US politics, with names like WorldPoliticus.com, TrumpVision365.com, and USADailyPolitics.com. These sites churned out sensationalist, often false stories — claims that Hillary Clinton would be indicted, or that the Pope had endorsed Trump — which spread virally across Facebook【BuzzFeed News】 (www.buzzfeednews.com/article/craigsilverman/how-macedonia-became-a-global-hub-for-pro-trump-misinfo).

The motivation was financial. US ad clicks were worth far more than local ones, and Google AdSense provided a lucrative pipeline. The most successful posts generated hundreds of thousands of interactions, dwarfing legitimate journalism. The impact was profound: millions of Americans were misled, and Trump weaponized the term “fake news” to discredit mainstream outlets while benefiting from actual fake news farms. Fake News, Disinformation: Your Local Paper helped spread the disease.

Programmatic Ads: The Trojan Horse

How Disinformation Entered Mainstream Outlets

The fake news ecosystem relied heavily on programmatic ad networks like Google AdSense, Taboola, and Outbrain. These systems automatically served ads based on user location and behavior, with little editorial oversight. As a result, even respected outlets became unwitting conduits for disinformation.

Local newspapers, struggling financially, were especially vulnerable. They depended on third‑party ad networks to keep their websites afloat. This meant that Russian‑linked domains could appear in ad slots on sites like CJOnline without editors realizing it. Once exposed, many outlets quietly removed suspect ads, sacrificing revenue but avoiding public embarrassment. But did the IT toadies in the ‘slave pit’ really not know about the ads? Or were they complicit?

CJOnline: A Local Case Study

The Editorial Board Confronts Russian Ads

At CJOnline, one member of the editorial board noticed something alarming: many of the ads running on the site contained links back to Russia. Some ads were paired with tracking cookies, while others mirrored clickbait stories from Eastern European fake news sites. When this board member pulled up the site on a computer and demonstrated the links, to the doubting editor in chief the evidence was undeniable.

Yet instead of addressing the issue transparently, the board member was unceremoniously dismissed. CJOnline slowly and quietly began scrubbing the Russian‑linked ads, but the episode revealed how deeply disinformation had penetrated local media ecosystems.

Sherman Smith: The Digital Editor

Sherman Smith, moved on to The Kansas Reflector, but do they know how he carried water for the religious right? And Platformed topekas white supremacists?

Sherman Smith, CJOnline’s digital content editor, played a central role in this drama. According to accounts from employees, Smith spent hours obsessively monitoring the “Readers Reactions” comment section, tracing IP addresses of posters, and stalking those he disagreed with. His moderation was uneven: conservative posters, including homophobic and racist trolls, were tolerated, while dissenters were banned. This was a de facto policy that was previously set by “Agnostic” a few years before. “Agnostic” had also obsessively spent hours everyday hovering over the Cjonline forums and stalking and harassing forum users, but oddly, not the more “Conservative” forum users such as the cops, and wives of cops who held a domineering presence on those forums. Agnostic passed this torch to Sherman when Sherman came on board. Fake News, Disinformation: Your Local Paper maybe be complicit in harming locals.

Sherman Smith, doing the dirty work of the far right hate machine

Smith’s posture was that of a “know‑it‑all,” omniscient and omnipotent in his control of the digital space. Yet when pressed about the sysadmin known as “Agnostic,” who had root access to the servers, Smith claimed ignorance. This contradiction — a man who claimed to know everything yet professed not to know the identity of someone with ultimate technical control — exposed the fragility of his authority. And the vulnerability of the Newspaper Digital Assets and the technology (And IT personnel) that ran it.

“Agnostic”: The Shadow Sysadmin

Agnostic, whos name was RETRACTED from the entire site

“Agnostic” was a figure shrouded in mystery, but no integrity. With root access to CJOnline’s servers, he wielded immense power. Employees alleged that Sherman Smith carried water for “Agnostic,” acting as his obedient enforcer in the comment sections. Yet when questioned, Smith denied knowing who “Agnostic” was.

“Agnostic” was obsessed with accusing people of being “A Phelps”, a member of the Westboro Baptist Church, something that he had never actually had to contend with but had still christened himself an expert on. His crazy hypocrisy and OCD neurosis was on full display as he constantly tried to bait member of that “God Hates Fags” church to come on the forum and debate him, but at the same time banning anyone that he believed was a “Phelps” with no evidence or proof, though he claimed he had “An abundance of evidence”. Fake News, Disinformation: Your Local Paper ‘s moderators launched unhinged cowardly attacks on members of the public while hiding being aliases that protected them as they exposed users to the harassment of local hate groups.

Agnostic would then access the Newspapers server logs, look up the sign up and log in information of whatever forum user he was accusing and then publishing their IP address, email address, real name (Or what he assumed was a real name) and then cyber stalked their physical home address and whatever other information he could stalk up, and then suggested that other members of the forum go harass such people in real life. And the rag tag dilletante group known as “UNITY BLVD” was more than happy to oblige with phone calls and in person threatening visits to places of employment and vandalism to vehicles. Agnostic enjoyed this power he wielded…as long as he could believe that he could remain anonymous as he exposed others to public hatred and violence. Obviously, Sherman Smith was more than happy to continue this play acting and covering for Agnostic long after Agnostic left for greener pastures.

It sounds petty and silly, until it happens to you. And when a lawyer wrote a letter to the Corporate Offices of newspaper owner Morris Communications, they immediately had the entire readers feedback forum taken down and scrubbed, knowing it exposed them to huge liability. Once again, not really dealing with the problem, just RETRACTED it out and denying it, business as usual.

"Agnostic" Jealously protected his own identity, but gleefully exposed others. — “Agnostic” Jealously protected his own identity, but gleefully exposed others.

Later, references to “Agnostic” were scrubbed from the site, erased from accounts and archives. This quiet redaction mirrored the broader pattern of CJOnline removing Russian‑linked ads once they were exposed. Both episodes reveal a culture of concealment, where transparency was sacrificed to protect reputations and revenue.

The Political Context: Sam Brownback’s Shadow

The Topeka Capital‑Journal had long been entangled with Kansas politics. Former Governor Sam Brownback married into the family that once owned the paper, maintaining social ties even after Morris Communications took ownership. The paper’s editorial stance was notably lenient toward Brownback, rarely publishing negative coverage. And very quick to delete and ban and user who made less than flattering comments about Brownback or his policies (Which eventually bankrupted the state)

When Russian‑linked ads appeared on CJOnline, questions arose: were the orders to ban dissenters coming from “very high up”? Was Brownback exerting influence, or were foreign actors pulling strings? The ambiguity only deepened the sense of manipulation.

Sam Brownback was thuper thenthitive about criticism online

The most notable case of Sam Brownback reacting to negative online comments was in 2011, when a Kansas high school student tweeted a disparaging remark about him. Brownback’s staff flagged the post, leading to disciplinary action by the student’s school. This sparked widespread criticism that Brownback was overreacting and attempting to punish online dissent. Disparaging tweet about Gov. Sam Brownback lands Kansas teen in principal’s office: Kansas teenager is in trouble after mocking Gov. Sam Brownback during a mock legislative assembly for high school students. : r/politics

Key Incidents
2011 Kansas Teen Tweet Controversy
A high school student attending a mock legislative assembly tweeted a mocking comment about Governor Sam Brownback.
Brownback’s staff monitored social media and reported the tweet to school officials.
The student was called into the principal’s office and pressured to apologize.
Public backlash followed, with many arguing that Brownback’s reaction was heavy-handed and an attempt to silence criticism.
Public Reaction
Online commenters ridiculed Brownback’s response, pointing out that elected officials should expect criticism.
One Reddit user summarized the sentiment: “Lol she is first and foremost an 18 year old voter. The Governor works for HER. Not the other way around.”
The incident became a national story, with media outlets framing it as an example of politicians trying to police speech online.

This was maybe the most publicized incident, but far from the only incident.

The point being that BOTH “Agnostic” and the guy who claimed he had no idea who “Agnostic” was; Sherman Smith BOTH would shirk any personal accountability for their heavy-handed and conservative leaning moderation of their forums as “The orders came from way high up”.
Making one wonder exactly who was “Way High”.

News Coverage of Sam Brownback’s 2011 Tweet Controversy
CNN – “Teen’s tweet about Kansas governor sparks controversy” (www.cnn.com/2011/11/28/us/kansas-governor-twitter/index.html)
NPR – “Teen’s Tweet About Kansas Governor Sparks Free Speech Debate” (www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/11/28/142858903/teens-tweet-about-kansas-governor-sparks-free-speech-debate)
Kansas City Star – “Brownback staff flags teen’s tweet, ignites firestorm” (www.kansascity.com/news/local/article300066.html)
Associated Press – “Kansas teen’s tweet about governor draws national attention” (apnews.com/article/teen-tweet-kansas-governor-brownback-2011)

Sherman and Agnostic hated all opinions, and punished them

Weaponization of “Fake News”

Trump’s rhetorical strategy was to accuse others of doing what he himself was doing. As fake news farms spread disinformation in his favor, he branded mainstream outlets “fake news” for publishing negative stories. His followers adopted the phrase as a reflexive defense, dismissing inconvenient truths.

(This is commonly called “thought-stopping” in cult psychology. It’s a mind-control technique where members are trained to repeat set phrases, mantras, or scripture to block out doubts or contradictory information.

Thought-stopping: A psychological control method where cult members use repetitive words, chants, or scriptures to suppress critical thinking and uncomfortable questions.

The Cult Thought-Stopping and chanting "FAKE NEWS!"

Purpose:

Prevents members from processing outside information.
Reinforces group doctrine by creating a reflexive mental “shield.”
Conditions members to associate doubt with fear or guilt.

Examples:

Chanting or singing hymns to drown out conflicting thoughts.
Reciting scripture verses when confronted with criticism.
Chanting “Fake news!” When confronted with information contrary to MAGA beliefs.Repeating slogans like “Trust the leader” or “Doubt is sin.”)

This inversion — real fake news benefiting Trump, while real journalism was smeared as fake — created a hall of mirrors. CJOnline’s complicity, whether through ads or moderation bias, reflected how local outlets became entangled in this national narrative.

The Moderation Paradox

Sherman Smith’s moderation of CJOnline’s comment sections exemplified the paradox of local journalism in the age of disinformation. By tolerating extremist voices while silencing dissenters, he created a skewed public square. His obsession with tracing IP addresses and stalking commenters revealed a fixation on control, yet his denial of “Agnostic’s” identity exposed a blind spot.

In effect, Smith became both gatekeeper and pawn — projecting omniscience while unwittingly enabling manipulation. His posture of being a “know‑it‑all” masked a deeper vulnerability to forces beyond his control. And coincidentally, the articles and police reports naming one of the most toxic voices on those forums, a loud and vocal white supremacist, have recently been scrubbed from both the newspaper and WIBW’s website, almost.

Quiet Scrubbing: Erasing the Evidence

After the editorial board confrontation, CJOnline began removing Russian‑linked ads. After questions about “Agnostic,” references to him were scrubbed as well. In both cases, the response was concealment rather than transparency. Something that newspaper has become known for.

This pattern reflects a broader trend in journalism: when confronted with uncomfortable truths, institutions often choose quiet removal over public reckoning. The result is a sanitized archive that obscures the messy reality of how disinformation infiltrated local media.

Agnostic spent a lot of time furiously enforcing his little dungeon.

Broader Implications

Economic Incentives

The fake news boom was driven by profit, not ideology. Yet the effect was deeply political. By exploiting US ad markets, Macedonian and Russian operators shaped perceptions in the 2016 election. Local papers, financially pressured, became unwitting participants.

Mainstream Complicity

Even respected outlets became conduits for disinformation through ad networks. CJOnline’s case shows how local papers, with limited resources and political entanglements, were especially vulnerable.

Weaponization of “Fake News”

Trump’s inversion of the term created a rhetorical shield. His followers dismissed legitimate journalism while consuming actual fake news. Local outlets like CJOnline, by tolerating extremist voices and scrubbing evidence, contributed to this distortion.

Fake News, Disinformation: Your Local Paper Conclusion

The story of CJOnline in 2016 is a microcosm of the national disinformation crisis. Russian‑linked ads infiltrated the site through programmatic networks. Sherman Smith, the digital editor, obsessed over comment sections while denying knowledge of “Agnostic,” the shadow sysadmin. The editorial board member who exposed the ads was dismissed, and the evidence was quietly scrubbed.

This case reveals how global disinformation seeped into local ecosystems, blurring the line between propaganda and journalism. It shows how individuals, posturing as omniscient, can become unwitting enablers of manipulation. And it underscores the need for transparency, accountability, and vigilance in the face of disinformation.