Church leaders say fake newspapers like 'Wisconsin Catholic Tribune' are political mailers

Top Catholic officials in multiple dioceses say they have no association with right-wing political mailers disguised as religious newspapers that are landing in residents' mailboxes.

The fake newspapers, with names like Wisconsin Catholic Tribune, are part of a massive national effort funded by conservative megadonors to disseminate partisan information under the guise of news. It is often known as "pink slime journalism."

"This direct mail piece, which is political in nature, is not a publication from the Church in Madison or Wisconsin and the publishers do not have permission in the Diocese of Madison to present their content as Catholic," Madison Bishop Donald Hying said in a statement.

The other dioceses in Wisconsin released similar statements distancing themselves from the mailers.

ProPublica recently traced the Wisconsin Catholic Tribune, and other similar publications masquerading as Catholic papers in key swing states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania, to Metric Media, a network of more than 1,200 politically-backed sites across the United States.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also recently reported on the roughly two dozen publications tied to Metric Media that purport to be Wisconsin news outlets, including the Milwaukee City Wire, the Madison Reporter and the Waukesha Times. The papers typically have no named authors and are thinly reported, often repeating a politician's social media post or news release. They've had articles with false or misleading information on undocumented immigrants' crime rates, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris' stance on reparations and more.

The so-called "Catholic" outlets tied to Metric Media have not updated their websites in months. Most stories do not have a byline. Most of the articles on the Wisconsin site are simply lists of Mass intentions — names of the people for whom each Mass is offered — for various Wisconsin parishes for a week in July.

Some of the articles in the Catholic Tribune mailers focus on abortion, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s endorsement of Donald Trump and culture war issues. ProPublica reports that other headlines reference "sex change mutilation surgeries" on Wisconsin kids and "Haitian illegal aliens."

The Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University lists in its database of Metric Media outlets eight publications disguised as Catholic newspapers: in Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin, as well as a national paper called "American Catholic Tribune."

Republicans woo Catholic vote, even though there's no real bloc

Republicans have been trying to mobilize conservative Catholic voters in battleground states in the run-up to the November presidential election. Vice presidential candidate JD Vance visited Waukesha Sunday with the goal of winning over Catholic voters.

More: JD Vance visits crucial Waukesha County to encourage Catholics to vote for Trump

Although Catholics are important because of their sheer number, it's generally accepted that there is no real Catholic bloc. About half — 52% — of Catholic registered voters identify with Republicans, and 44% identify with Democrats, according to the Pew Research Center. Hispanic Catholics tend to lean more Democratic, while white Catholics lean more Republican.

Even on social issues, Catholics are divided. On abortion, for example, only one in 10 agree with church teaching that it should be illegal in all cases, according to Pew Research Center. And although immigration is a significant election issue, a recent national survey by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate found it doesn't move Catholic voters decisively one way or the other.

In a Facebook post, the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, the policy advocacy arm for the five dioceses in the state, acknowledged the fake newspaper mailers as political in nature and said it is not affiliated with them. The conference also directed Catholics to its voter guide. The Catholic Church in Wisconsin does not endorse candidates or parties but may "call attention to the moral and religious dimensions of public issues," according to its published electoral guidelines.

Here are the names of the legitimate Catholic newspapers affiliated with each Wisconsin diocese:

• Milwaukee Catholic Herald. Website: catholicherald.org

• Madison Catholic Herald. Website: madisoncatholicherald.org

• Green Bay's On Mission (formerly The Compass). Website: onmissionmedia.com

• Superior Catholic Herald. Website: superiorcatholicherald.org

• La Crosse's Catholic Life. Website: catholiclife.diolc.org

Sophie Carson is a general assignment reporter who reports on religion and faith, immigrants and refugees and more. Contact her at [email protected] or 920-323-5758.

This story was updated to add a video.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Conservative political mailers passed off as Catholic newspapers