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{{short description|American non-profit organization that creates videos from a conservative or right-wing perspective}} {{Short description|American conservative non-profit media organization}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox organization {{Infobox organization
| name = PragerU | name = PragerU
| image = PragerU logo.svg
| image = Prager University Logo.png
| image_size = 250px | image_size = 250px
| leader_title = CEO
| formation = {{start date and age|2009}}
| leader_name = Marissa Streit
| founders = {{unbulleted list|]|]}}
| caption =
| website = {{URL|prageru.com}}}}
| type = ] ] organization
{{Infobox YouTube personality
| name = PragerU | tax_id = 27-1763901
| logo = | formation = {{start date and age|2009}}
| founders = {{unbulleted list|]|]}}
| logo caption =
| image = | website = {{Official URL}}
| caption = | area_served = United States
| nationality = American | revenue = $56,600,000
| occupation = | revenue_year = 2021
| expenses = $32,900,000
| channel_direct_url = PragerUniversity
| years_active = 2009–present | expenses_year = 2021
| genre = {{hlist|Politics|current affairs}} | staff = 97
| staff_year = 2021
| subscribers = 2.8 million<!-- Please keep this figure rounded down to the nearest hundred thousand; any different rounding behavior should be discussed on the talk page first.-->
| views = 1.15 billion<!-- Please keep this figure rounded down to the nearest ten million; any different rounding behavior should be discussed on the talk page first.-->
| network =
| associated_acts =
| catchphrase(s) =
| silver_button = Yes
| silver_year =
| gold_button = Yes
| gold_year = 2017
| diamond_button =
| diamond_year =
| ruby_button =
| ruby_year =
| stats_update= December 2020
}} }}
{{Conservatism US|media}}<!--No citations are required in the article lead per ], as long as the content is cited in the article body, as it should be. Do not add missing-citation tags like {{cn}} to the lead. If necessary, {{not verified in body}} can be used, or the content removed.-->
'''PragerU''', short for '''Prager University''', is an American ] that creates videos on various political, economic, and philosophical topics from an ] perspective.<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" /> The organization was co-founded by ] and talk show host and writer ].<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032">{{Cite news|last=Bernstein|first=Joseph|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/josephbernstein/prager-university|title=How PragerU is winning the Right Wing culture war without Donald Trump|date=March 3, 2018|work=]|access-date=March 12, 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214050110/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/josephbernstein/prager-university|archive-date=February 14, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{Cite news|date=July 20, 2018|title=Facebook apologises to right-wing site|publisher=]|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-45247302|url-status=live|access-date=July 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823131116/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45247302|archive-date=August 23, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Globe2">{{Cite news|author=Bray|first=Hiawatha|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/10/14/youtube-restricts-access-dershowitz-video/BpnEzzb6VS2U3VZU0tetlI/story.html|title=YouTube restricts access to Dershowitz video|date=October 14, 2016|newspaper=]|access-date=August 28, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113200719/https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/10/14/youtube-restricts-access-dershowitz-video/BpnEzzb6VS2U3VZU0tetlI/story.html|archive-date=November 13, 2016|url-access=limited}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=Bowles|first=Nellie|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/04/us/politics/dennis-prager-university.html|title=Right-Wing Views for Generation Z, Five Minutes at a Time|date=January 4, 2020|work=]|access-date=January 6, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212034527/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/04/us/politics/dennis-prager-university.html|archive-date=February 12, 2020|author-link=Nellie Bowles|url-access=limited}}</ref> The organization relies on donations, and much of its early funding came from ] billionaires ].<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" /><ref name=":1" />
The '''Prager University Foundation''', known as '''PragerU''', is an American ] ] ] and ] that creates content promoting ] and ] viewpoints on various political, economic, and sociological topics. It was co-founded in 2009 by ] and talk show host ]. Despite the name including the word "university", it is not an academic institution and does not confer degrees.


PragerU's videos contain misleading or factually incorrect information promoting ].<ref name=":4" /> Historians and political scientists have also criticized PragerU's videos for containing misleading or inaccurate claims about topics such as ] and ], ], and the history of ]. PragerU has been accused of promoting ].<ref name=":8" />
PragerU is a ] but is not an ] and does not offer certifications or diplomas.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-08-22/dennis-prager-university-conservative-internet-sensation|title=How a Los Angeles-based conservative became one of the internet's biggest sensations|date=August 23, 2019|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>


== History == == History ==
], co-founder of PragerU, in 2018]]
PragerU was founded in 2009 by conservative radio talk show host ] and radio producer and screenwriter ],<ref name="motherjones2">{{Cite magazine|last=Oppenheimer|first=Mark|date=March–April 2018|title=Inside the right-wing YouTube empire that's quietly turning millennials into conservatives|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/inside-right-wing-youtube-turning-millennials-conservative-prageru-video-dennis-prager/|magazine=]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180525133052/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/inside-right-wing-youtube-turning-millennials-conservative-prageru-video-dennis-prager/|archive-date=May 25, 2018|access-date=May 25, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> in order to advocate for conservative views and to offset what Prager regards as the undermining of college education by the left.<ref name="Globe2" /><ref name="ToI2">{{cite news|last=Klug|first=Lisa|date=June 14, 2017|title=Super-conservative PragerU aims to arm pro-Israel students for their campus 'wastelands'|newspaper=]|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/super-conservative-prageru-aims-to-arm-pro-israel-students-for-their-campus-wastelands/|url-status=live|access-date=August 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170615232706/https://www.timesofisrael.com/super-conservative-prageru-aims-to-arm-pro-israel-students-for-their-campus-wastelands/|archive-date=June 15, 2017}}</ref> The two originally considered making it a brick-and-mortar university, but the idea was revised into a digital product to save money.<ref name=":1" /> PragerU is based in the ],<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" /> and it had around 50 employees as of January 2020.<ref name=":1" />
]


PragerU was founded in 2009 by conservative radio talk show host ] and radio producer/screenwriter ],<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032">{{Cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Joseph |date=March 3, 2018 |title=How PragerU is winning the Right Wing culture war without Donald Trump |work=] |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/josephbernstein/prager-university |url-status=dead |access-date=March 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214050110/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/josephbernstein/prager-university |archive-date=February 14, 2019}}</ref><ref name="motherjones2">{{Cite magazine|last=Oppenheimer|first=Mark|date=March–April 2018|title=Inside the right-wing YouTube empire that's quietly turning millennials into conservatives|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/inside-right-wing-youtube-turning-millennials-conservative-prageru-video-dennis-prager/|magazine=]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180525133052/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/inside-right-wing-youtube-turning-millennials-conservative-prageru-video-dennis-prager/|archive-date=May 25, 2018|access-date=May 25, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> in order to advocate for conservative views and to offset what Prager regards as the undermining of college education by the left.<ref name="Globe2">{{Cite news |author=Bray |first=Hiawatha |date=October 14, 2016 |title=YouTube restricts access to Dershowitz video |newspaper=] |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/10/14/youtube-restricts-access-dershowitz-video/BpnEzzb6VS2U3VZU0tetlI/story.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113200719/https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/10/14/youtube-restricts-access-dershowitz-video/BpnEzzb6VS2U3VZU0tetlI/story.html |archive-date=November 13, 2016}}</ref><ref name="ToI2">{{cite news|last=Klug|first=Lisa|date=June 14, 2017|title=Super-conservative PragerU aims to arm pro-Israel students for their campus 'wastelands'|newspaper=]|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/super-conservative-prageru-aims-to-arm-pro-israel-students-for-their-campus-wastelands/|url-status=live|access-date=August 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170615232706/https://www.timesofisrael.com/super-conservative-prageru-aims-to-arm-pro-israel-students-for-their-campus-wastelands/|archive-date=June 15, 2017}}</ref> Marissa Streit, a former Israeli army intelligence member and headmistress of a Los Angeles county school, joined in 2009, and was made the ] in 2011.<ref name=":1"/><ref name="LATimes2019"/> They originally considered making it a brick-and-mortar university, but the idea was revised into a digital product to save money.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Bowles |first=Nellie |author-link=Nellie Bowles |date=January 4, 2020 |title=Right-Wing Views for Generation Z, Five Minutes at a Time |work=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/04/us/politics/dennis-prager-university.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=January 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212034527/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/04/us/politics/dennis-prager-university.html |archive-date=February 12, 2020}}</ref>
Since a lawsuit over the use of a photograph in 2013, PragerU has used animation in its videos.<ref>{{cite news|last=Donnelly|first=Madaline|date=November 4, 2015|title=How Dennis Prager's conservative online university reaches millions|work=]|url=https://www.dailysignal.com/2015/11/04/how-dennis-pragers-conservative-online-university-reaches-millions/|url-status=dead|access-date=August 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430184038/https://www.dailysignal.com/2015/11/04/how-dennis-pragers-conservative-online-university-reaches-millions/|archive-date=April 30, 2016}}</ref> According to its CEO, Marissa Streit, a group of approximately 500 students called "PragerFORCE" promotes its videos.<ref name="ToI2" /> PragerU reached a billion views in 2018.<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" />
], co-founder of PragerU]]
In July 2019, PragerU representative Allen Estrin attended President ]'s Social Media Summit, along with other conservative organizations and people such as ] and ].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Overly|first=Steven|date=July 11, 2019|title=Social media gadflies gather for airing of grievances with Trump|work=]|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/11/white-house-social-media-bias-talks-1576717|url-status=live|access-date=February 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719113833/https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/11/white-house-social-media-bias-talks-1576717|archive-date=July 19, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Gilbert|first=Ben|date=July 11, 2019|title=The White House social-media summit doesn't have Facebook or Twitter, but it does have conservative conspiracy theorists — here's who was reportedly invited|work=]|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-social-media-summit-who-is-going-2019-7|url-status=live|access-date=February 1, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200430063814/https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-social-media-summit-who-is-going-2019-7|archive-date=April 30, 2020}}</ref>


PragerU is based in the ] of Los Angeles, California,<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" /> and it had around 50 employees {{as of|2020|1|lc=y}}.<ref name=":1" /> PragerU encourages students to join "PragerFORCE", an international student organization to promote PragerU's videos and ideology; about 6,500 college and high school students promoted its videos as of 2020.<ref name=":1" /> Despite the name, PragerU is not an ] and does not hold classes, does not grant certifications or diplomas, and is not ] by any recognized body.<ref name="LATimes2019" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Blow |first=Charles M. |date=August 16, 2023 |title=Using Frederick Douglass to Rationalize Slavery? In Florida, Yes! |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/16/opinion/florida-prager-slavery-frederick-douglass.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230816235648/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/16/opinion/florida-prager-slavery-frederick-douglass.html |archive-date=August 16, 2023 |accessdate=August 16, 2023 |newspaper=] |quote="In fine type at the bottom of its webpage, it admits that "PragerU is not an accredited university, nor do we claim to be. We don't offer degrees, but we do provide educational, entertaining, pro-American videos for every age."}}</ref>
=== Conflicts with YouTube and Facebook ===
In October 2016, PragerU published a petition which said that ] had unjustly put 21 of PragerU's videos in YouTube's "restricted mode" setting, which limits views based on factors such as the viewer's age. The petition requested that YouTube remove the videos from restricted mode.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Stop YouTube From Blocking PragerU Videos!|url=https://www.prageru.com/stop-youtube-blocking-prageru-videos|publisher=PragerU|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013071825/https://www.prageru.com/stop-youtube-blocking-prageru-videos|archive-date=October 13, 2016|access-date=January 31, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Why Is YouTube Censoring 21 Educational Videos From PragerU?|url=https://thefederalist.com/2016/10/12/youtube-censoring-educational-videos-prageru/|last=Payton|first=Bre|author-link=Bre Payton|date=October 12, 2016|website=]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113033418/https://thefederalist.com/2016/10/12/youtube-censoring-educational-videos-prageru/|archive-date=November 13, 2016|access-date=January 31, 2020}}</ref> YouTube responded, saying: "We aim to apply the same standards to everyone and we don’t censor anyone. Often it’s not the right approach to say that videos with the same topic should get the same rating. We’ll need to take into consideration what the intent of the video is, what the focus of the video is, what the surrounding metadata of the video explains."<ref name="Globe2" />


PragerU reached a billion views in 2018.<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" />
In October 2017, PragerU filed a federal lawsuit against Youtube's parent company, ], claiming that 37 of its videos were unfairly demonetized or flagged so that they could only be viewed with "restricted mode filtering", which limits views based on certain characteristics, including the age of the viewer.<ref name="ars2">{{cite web|title=PragerU sues YouTube, says it censors conservative videos|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/10/prageru-sues-youtube-says-it-censors-conservative-videos/|last=Mullin|first=Joe|date=October 25, 2017|website=]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613234427/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/10/prageru-sues-youtube-says-it-censors-conservative-videos/|archive-date=June 13, 2018|access-date=November 13, 2017}}</ref> PragerU claimed that Google's actions violated the ] and asserted YouTube was a ]. In March 2018, the case was dismissed by ] ], who ruled that because Google was a private company, PragerU had failed to show that it had infringed its free speech rights.<ref>{{cite news|last=Neidig|first=Harper|date=March 27, 2018|title=Judge dismisses lawsuit alleging Google censorship of conservative YouTube videos|work=]|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/380455-judge-dismisses-lawsuit-alleging-google-censorship-of-conservative-youtube|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720034231/https://thehill.com/policy/technology/380455-judge-dismisses-lawsuit-alleging-google-censorship-of-conservative-youtube|archive-date=July 20, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Stempel|first=Jonathan|date=March 27, 2018|title=Google defeats lawsuit claiming YouTube censors conservatives|agency=]|editor-last=Choy|editor-first=Marguerita|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alphabet-google-youtube-censorship/google-defeats-lawsuit-claiming-youtube-censors-conservatives-idUSKBN1H320D|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20180424161019/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alphabet-google-youtube-censorship/google-defeats-lawsuit-claiming-youtube-censors-conservatives-idUSKBN1H320D|archive-date=April 24, 2018}}</ref><ref>'''', Order Granting Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (N.D. Cal. March 28, 2018).</ref> In February 2020, this ruling was upheld by the ].<ref>{{Cite web|title=First Amendment doesn't apply on YouTube; judges reject PragerU lawsuit|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/02/first-amendment-doesnt-apply-on-youtube-judges-reject-prageru-lawsuit/|last=Brodkin|first=Jon|date=February 26, 2020|website=]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228000921/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/02/first-amendment-doesnt-apply-on-youtube-judges-reject-prageru-lawsuit/|archive-date=February 28, 2020|access-date=February 27, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Dinezo|first=Maria|date=February 26, 2020|title=Ninth Circuit Tosses PragerU's Free Speech Claims Against YouTube|agency=]|url=https://www.courthousenews.com/ninth-circuit-tosses-pragerus-free-speech-claims-against-youtube/|url-status=live|access-date=February 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420070059/https://www.courthousenews.com/ninth-circuit-tosses-pragerus-free-speech-claims-against-youtube/|archive-date=April 20, 2020}}</ref>


In July 2019, PragerU representative Allen Estrin attended then-] ]'s Social Media Summit, along with other conservative organizations and people such as ] and ].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Overly|first=Steven|date=July 11, 2019|title=Social media gadflies gather for airing of grievances with Trump|work=]|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/11/white-house-social-media-bias-talks-1576717|url-status=live|access-date=February 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719113833/https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/11/white-house-social-media-bias-talks-1576717|archive-date=July 19, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Gilbert|first=Ben|date=July 11, 2019|title=The White House social-media summit doesn't have Facebook or Twitter, but it does have conservative conspiracy theorists — here's who was reportedly invited|work=]|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-social-media-summit-who-is-going-2019-7|url-status=bot: unknown|access-date=February 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200201163555/https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-social-media-summit-who-is-going-2019-7|archive-date=February 1, 2020}}</ref>
In August 2018, PragerU criticized YouTube for adding fact-checks to YouTube videos which cover ].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hirji|first=Zahra|date=August 7, 2018|title=YouTube Is Fighting Back Against Climate Misinformation|work=]|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zahrahirji/youtube-climate-change-denial|url-status=dead|access-date=August 8, 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190911220428/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zahrahirji/youtube-climate-change-denial|archive-date=September 11, 2019}}</ref>


===Conflicts with YouTube and Facebook===
In August 2018, ] removed two PragerU videos from its platform, later restoring the videos, saying that they "were mistakenly removed."<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Asher Hamilton|first=Isobel|date=August 21, 2018|title=Facebook apologizes to right-wing group PragerU after being accused of censoring its videos|work=]|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-apologises-to-prageru-for-blocking-its-videos-2018-8|url-status=live|access-date=August 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027145541/https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-apologises-to-prageru-for-blocking-its-videos-2018-8|archive-date=October 27, 2018}}</ref> According to Francesca Tripodi, professor of sociology at ], there are plausible non-ideological explanations for Facebook's removal of several of the videos.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Schwartz|first=Oscar|date=December 4, 2018|title=Are Google and Facebook really suppressing conservative politics?|work=]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/dec/04/google-facebook-anti-conservative-bias-claims|url-status=live|access-date=November 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190516104659/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/dec/04/google-facebook-anti-conservative-bias-claims|archive-date=May 16, 2019}}</ref> PragerU contended that Facebook had engaged in deliberate censorship of their videos.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":3" />
In October 2016, PragerU claimed that ] had put 21 of PragerU's videos in the "restricted mode" setting, which ensures content is age appropriate.<ref name="Globe2" /><ref name="ars2" /> YouTube responded, saying: "We aim to apply the same standards to everyone and we don't censor anyone. Often it's not the right approach to say that videos with the same topic should get the same rating. We'll need to take into consideration what the intent of the video is, what the focus of the video is, what the surrounding metadata of the video explains."<ref name="Globe2" />


In October 2017, PragerU filed a federal lawsuit against YouTube's parent company, ], claiming that 37 of its videos were unfairly demonetized or flagged so that they could only be viewed with "restricted mode filtering," which limits views based on viewer characteristics such as age.<ref name="ars2">{{cite web|title=PragerU sues YouTube, says it censors conservative videos|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/10/prageru-sues-youtube-says-it-censors-conservative-videos/|last=Mullin|first=Joe|date=October 25, 2017|website=]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613234427/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/10/prageru-sues-youtube-says-it-censors-conservative-videos/|archive-date=June 13, 2018|access-date=November 13, 2017}}</ref> PragerU claimed that Google's demonetization and flagging violated the ] by arguing that YouTube was a ]. In March 2018, ] ] dismissed the case, ruling that because Google was a private company, PragerU had failed to show that Google had infringed its free speech rights.<ref>{{cite news|last=Neidig|first=Harper|date=March 27, 2018|title=Judge dismisses lawsuit alleging Google censorship of conservative YouTube videos|work=]|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/380455-judge-dismisses-lawsuit-alleging-google-censorship-of-conservative-youtube/ |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240823103027/https://thehill.com/policy/technology/380455-judge-dismisses-lawsuit-alleging-google-censorship-of-conservative-youtube/ |archive-date=August 23, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Stempel|first=Jonathan|date=March 27, 2018|title=Google defeats lawsuit claiming YouTube censors conservatives|work=]|editor-last=Choy|editor-first=Marguerita|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alphabet-google-youtube-censorship/google-defeats-lawsuit-claiming-youtube-censors-conservatives-idUSKBN1H320D|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328071201/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alphabet-google-youtube-censorship/google-defeats-lawsuit-claiming-youtube-censors-conservatives-idUSKBN1H320D|archive-date=March 28, 2018|access-date=March 28, 2018}}</ref><ref>'' {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302101619/https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=14304698794959030599 |date=March 2, 2021 }}'', Order Granting Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (N.D. Cal. March 28, 2018).</ref> In February 2020, the ] upheld this ruling.<ref>{{Cite web|title=First Amendment doesn't apply on YouTube; judges reject PragerU lawsuit|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/02/first-amendment-doesnt-apply-on-youtube-judges-reject-prageru-lawsuit/|last=Brodkin|first=Jon|date=February 26, 2020|website=]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228000921/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/02/first-amendment-doesnt-apply-on-youtube-judges-reject-prageru-lawsuit/|archive-date=February 28, 2020|access-date=February 27, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dinezo |first=Maria |date=February 26, 2020 |title=Ninth Circuit Tosses PragerU's Free Speech Claims Against YouTube |url=https://www.courthousenews.com/ninth-circuit-tosses-pragerus-free-speech-claims-against-youtube/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420070059/https://www.courthousenews.com/ninth-circuit-tosses-pragerus-free-speech-claims-against-youtube/ |archive-date=April 20, 2020 |access-date=February 27, 2020 |work=] |agency=}}</ref>
=== Funding ===
The organization depends on donations to produce its content.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions|url=https://www.prageru.com/faq|publisher=PragerU|access-date=March 15, 2019}}</ref> Much of the early funding for PragerU came from ] (fracking) billionaires ].<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" /><ref name=":1" /> Two members of the Wilks family are on PragerU's board.<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" /> The next-largest donor is the ].<ref name="motherjones2" /><ref name="Sludge2">{{cite web|title=Who Funds PragerU's Anti-Muslim Content?|url=https://readsludge.com/2018/12/27/who-funds-pragerus-anti-muslim-content/|author=Kotch|first=Alex|date=December 27, 2018|work=Sludge|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518195928/https://readsludge.com/2018/12/27/who-funds-pragerus-anti-muslim-content/|archive-date=May 18, 2019|access-date=December 28, 2018}}</ref> Other donors include the Morgan Family Foundation, ], ], and the Minnesota-based Sid and Carol Verdoorn Foundation, led by former ] CEO Sid Verdoorn.<ref name="Sludge2" />


In 2018, as part of its efforts to counter misinformation, YouTube added ] tags to PragerU's videos about climate change.<ref name="Hirji">{{Cite news|last=Hirji|first=Zahra|date=August 7, 2018|title=YouTube Is Fighting Back Against Climate Misinformation|work=]|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zahrahirji/youtube-climate-change-denial|url-status=dead|access-date=August 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808061145/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zahrahirji/youtube-climate-change-denial|archive-date=August 8, 2018}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=McCarthy |first=Joseph |date=December 18, 2018 |title=A Course in Climate Misinformation: How Prager U. Is Propagating Climate Misinformation |url=https://features.weather.com/course-climate-misinformation/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181227134554/https://features.weather.com/course-climate-misinformation/ |archive-date=December 27, 2018 |publisher=]}}</ref> In August 2018, ] removed two PragerU videos from its platform. It later restored the videos, saying that they "were mistakenly removed."<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |date=July 20, 2018 |title=Facebook apologises to right-wing site |work=] |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-45247302 |url-status=live |access-date=July 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823131116/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45247302 |archive-date=August 23, 2018}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Asher Hamilton|first=Isobel|date=August 21, 2018|title=Facebook apologizes to right-wing group PragerU after being accused of censoring its videos|work=]|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-apologises-to-prageru-for-blocking-its-videos-2018-8|url-status=live|access-date=August 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027145541/https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-apologises-to-prageru-for-blocking-its-videos-2018-8|archive-date=October 27, 2018}}</ref> According to Francesca Tripodi, professor of sociology at ], there are plausible non-ideological explanations for Facebook's removal of several of the videos.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Schwartz|first=Oscar|date=December 4, 2018|title=Are Google and Facebook really suppressing conservative politics?|work=]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/dec/04/google-facebook-anti-conservative-bias-claims|url-status=live|access-date=November 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190516104659/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/dec/04/google-facebook-anti-conservative-bias-claims|archive-date=May 16, 2019}}</ref> PragerU contended that Facebook had engaged in deliberate censorship.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":3" />
As of 2018, the organization reportedly had a $10 million annual budget, of which it spent more than 40% on marketing.<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" /> In 2019, PragerU raised $22 million and expects to receive $25 million in 2020.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite report|url=https://www.prageru.com/prageru-2019-annual-report.pdf|title=2019 Annual Report|date=2019|publisher=PragerU|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414065324/https://www.prageru.com/prageru-2019-annual-report.pdf|archive-date=April 14, 2020}}</ref> PragerU consistently spends more on Facebook advertising than major political campaigns and national advocacy groups.<ref name="LATimes2019">{{Cite news|last=Halper|first=Evan|date=August 23, 2019|title=How a Los Angeles-based conservative became one of the internet's biggest sensations|work=]|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-08-22/dennis-prager-university-conservative-internet-sensation|url-status=live|url-access=limited|access-date=November 20, 2019|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190823160604/https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-08-22/dennis-prager-university-conservative-internet-sensation|archive-date=August 23, 2019}}</ref> It ranks among the 10 biggest political spenders on the platform.<ref name=LATimes2019/>

In 2020, YouTube took down two ] videos featuring ] for violating their policy on ], wherein being transgender was likened to schizophrenia and disease.<ref>{{Cite web |last=January |first=Brianna |date=November 23, 2020 |title=YouTube removed anti-trans PragerU videos for violating hate speech policies |url=https://www.mediamatters.org/dennis-prager/youtube-removed-anti-trans-prageru-videos-violating-hate-speech-policies |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230524202132/https://www.mediamatters.org/dennis-prager/youtube-removed-anti-trans-prageru-videos-violating-hate-speech-policies |archive-date=May 24, 2023 |access-date=May 25, 2023 |website=] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=January |first=Brianna |date=January 7, 2021 |title=5 things social media platforms can do to combat anti-LGBTQ disinformation |url=https://www.washingtonblade.com/2021/01/07/5-things-social-media-platforms-can-do-to-combat-anti-lgbtq-disinformation/ |access-date=May 24, 2023 |website=] |language=en-US |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525001655/https://www.washingtonblade.com/2021/01/07/5-things-social-media-platforms-can-do-to-combat-anti-lgbtq-disinformation/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Finances ==
The organization depends on donations to produce its content.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions|url=https://www.prageru.com/faq|publisher=PragerU|access-date=March 15, 2019|archive-date=March 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210319184514/https://www.prageru.com/faq/|url-status=live}}</ref> Much of PragerU's early funding came from ] billionaires ].<ref name="LATimes2019" /><ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" /><ref name=":1" /> Two members of the Wilks family sit on PragerU's board.<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" /> The next-largest donor is the ].<ref name="motherjones2" /><ref name="Sludge2">{{cite web |author=Kotch |first=Alex |date=December 27, 2018 |title=Who Funds PragerU's Anti-Muslim Content? |url=https://readsludge.com/2018/12/27/who-funds-pragerus-anti-muslim-content/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518195928/https://readsludge.com/2018/12/27/who-funds-pragerus-anti-muslim-content/ |archive-date=May 18, 2019 |access-date=December 28, 2018 |work=]}}</ref> Other donors include the Morgan Family Foundation, ], ], the late Republican megadonor ],<ref name="lat2019">{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2019 |title=How a Los Angeles-based conservative became one of the internet's biggest sensations |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-08-22/dennis-prager-university-conservative-internet-sensation |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104230228/https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-08-22/dennis-prager-university-conservative-internet-sensation |archive-date=November 4, 2019 |access-date=November 16, 2019 |website=]}}</ref> ],<ref name="lat2019"/> and the Minnesota-based Sid and Carol Verdoorn Foundation, led by former ] CEO Sid Verdoorn.<ref name="Sludge2" /> Major support is also provided by the ] and the ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stone |first1=Peter |date=September 6, 2023|title=US 'university' spreads climate lies and receives millions from rightwing donors |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/06/prageru-climate-change-denier-republican-donors |work=] |access-date=June 13, 2024}}</ref>

As of 2018, the organization reportedly had a $10 million annual budget, of which it spent more than 40% on marketing.<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" /> In 2019, 40% of its budget came from almost 130,000 online donors; the ''Los Angeles Times'' noted that PragerU attracted more donors than some Democratic presidential primary contenders had at the time.<ref name="LATimes2019" /> In 2021, PragerU reported to have received about $57 million in revenue, most of it from donations, and reported approximately $33 million in expenses.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roberts |first=Andrea Suozzo, Alec Glassford, Ash Ngu, Brandon |date=May 9, 2013 |title=Prager University Foundation, Full Filing - Nonprofit Explorer |url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/271763901/202211099349300241/full |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103214551/https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/271763901/202211099349300241/full |archive-date=November 3, 2023 |access-date=November 3, 2023 |website=] |language=en}}</ref> PragerU consistently spends more on Facebook advertising than major political campaigns and national advocacy groups.<ref name="LATimes2019">{{Cite news|last=Halper|first=Evan|date=August 23, 2019|title=How a Los Angeles-based conservative became one of the internet's biggest sensations|work=]|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-08-22/dennis-prager-university-conservative-internet-sensation|url-status=bot: unknown|url-access=limited|access-date=November 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191201141534/https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-08-22/dennis-prager-university-conservative-internet-sensation|archive-date=December 1, 2019}}</ref> In 2019, it ranked among the 10 biggest political spenders on the platform.<ref name=LATimes2019/>

In 2020, PragerU received $704,057 in ] relief loans from the ]; this debt was later ] in full.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Syed |first1=Moiz |last2=Willis |first2=Derek |date=July 7, 2020 |title=Coronavirus Bailouts: PragerU |url=https://projects.propublica.org/coronavirus/bailouts/loans/prager-university-foundation-2828437102 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603224810/https://projects.propublica.org/coronavirus/bailouts/loans/prager-university-foundation-2828437102 |archive-date=June 3, 2021 |access-date=March 7, 2021 |website=] |publisher=}}</ref>


== Content == == Content ==
PragerU releases videos on various topics from a conservative viewpoint that according to its site "advances ]." {{As of|2023|2|df=US}}, its YouTube channel included 2,200 videos.<ref>{{cite web|title=Uploads from PragerU|url=https://www.youtube.com/user/PragerUniversity/videos|via=YouTube|access-date=November 14, 2018|archive-date=February 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224232303/http://www.youtube.com/user/PragerUniversity/videos|url-status=live}}</ref> Each video costs between $25,000 and $30,000 to create.<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" /> Dennis Prager "personally approves every item" and "edits every script" before publication, according to '']''.<ref name="motherjones2" /> PragerU guests cover a range from the secular right, the far-right, and the theocratic right.<ref name="Tripodi">{{cite journal |last1=Tripodi |first1=Francesca |date=2018 |title=Searching for Alternate Facts |url=https://datasociety.net/library/searching-for-alternative-facts/ |url-status=live |journal=Data & Society |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019110331/https://kennisopenbaarbestuur.nl/media/257152/data_society_searching-for-alternative-facts.pdf |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |access-date=September 22, 2021}}</ref> Some prominent video presenters have included ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Dembicki |first=Geoff |date=August 25, 2022 |title=How Fracking Billionaires, Ben Shapiro, and PragerU Built a Climate Crisis–Denial Empire |url=https://www.vice.com/amp/en/article/y3p33j/fracking-farris-dan-wilks-prageru-climate-crisis-denial-shapiro |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015002922/https://www.vice.com/amp/en/article/y3p33j/fracking-farris-dan-wilks-prageru-climate-crisis-denial-shapiro |archive-date=October 15, 2022 |access-date=October 14, 2022 |work=]}}</ref>
PragerU releases one video per week on various topics from a conservative viewpoint that according to its site "advances ] values". Its videos, although topical, largely avoid mentioning U.S. President ].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=October 20, 2020|title=Maumee High School history class given conservative media PragerU videos for extra credit|work=WTOL11|url=https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/maumee-high-school-history-class-assigned-prageru-videos-for-extra-credit/512-fee653b6-3451-4d4a-a59a-8cf34220e071|url-status=live|access-date=December 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103173015/https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/maumee-high-school-history-class-assigned-prageru-videos-for-extra-credit/512-fee653b6-3451-4d4a-a59a-8cf34220e071|archive-date=November 3, 2020}}</ref> {{As of|2020|5|df=US}}, its YouTube channel included 968 videos.<ref>{{cite web|title=Uploads from PragerU|url=https://www.youtube.com/user/PragerUniversity/videos|via=YouTube|access-date=November 14, 2018}}</ref> Each video costs between $25,000 and $30,000 to create.<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" />


Much of PragerU's popularity comes from its "5-Minute Videos", which summarize economic, political, and cultural topics, with many discussing controversial topics.<ref name=":2" />
Videos on PragerU have supported and argued for ], argued against a $15 ], and that gun ownership is a ]. ] stated in a video: "], bigotry, ], ], and ]" are "meaningless ]s". In a video discussing the ], ] argues that it is similar to the ], saying: "the alt-Right has nothing in common with conservatism, and is in fact much closer to leftism... Except of course, the left is much, much larger."<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" />


Among topics covered, PragerU videos have argued against a $15 ], against increased ] and in support of ].<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" /> Although topical, PragerU videos largely avoided mentioning ] during his presidency.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=October 20, 2020 |title=Maumee High School history class given conservative media PragerU videos for extra credit |url=https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/maumee-high-school-history-class-assigned-prageru-videos-for-extra-credit/512-fee653b6-3451-4d4a-a59a-8cf34220e071 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103173015/https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/maumee-high-school-history-class-assigned-prageru-videos-for-extra-credit/512-fee653b6-3451-4d4a-a59a-8cf34220e071 |archive-date=November 3, 2020 |access-date=December 28, 2020 |work=]}}</ref> PragerU is pro-], and Dennis Prager has said that "Nothing better identifies incipient evil than ]."<ref>{{cite news |last=Klug |first=Lisa |date=June 14, 2017 |title=Super-conservative PragerU aims to arm pro-Israel students for their campus 'wastelands' |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/super-conservative-prageru-aims-to-arm-pro-israel-students-for-their-campus-wastelands/amp/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709192004/https://www.timesofisrael.com/super-conservative-prageru-aims-to-arm-pro-israel-students-for-their-campus-wastelands/amp/ |archive-date=July 9, 2023 |access-date=October 13, 2022 |work=]}}</ref> PragerU videos also promote the ], arguing that it thwarts ] and that "pure democracies do not work".<ref name="motherjones2" />
PragerU videos have also defended the ], arguing that "pure democracies do not work" and that the Electoral College thwarts ].<ref name="motherjones2" /> PragerU promotes ]s and disputes the ]; in one of the organization's videos, fossil fuel proponent ] promotes misinformation about climate change, including false and misleading claims.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=A Course in Climate Misinformation: How Prager U. Is Propagating Climate Misinformation|url=https://features.weather.com/course-climate-misinformation/|last=McCarthy|first=Joseph|date=December 18, 2018|publisher=]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181227134554/https://features.weather.com/course-climate-misinformation/|archive-date=December 27, 2018}}</ref> According to ], still other videos argue there is no police ] toward ] and that the ] does not exist.<ref name="motherjones2"/>


] stated in a video that "], bigotry, ], ], and ]" are "meaningless ]s". In a video about the ], ] argued that it has nothing in common with conservatism and instead is close to leftism, except the left is much larger.<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" /><ref name="Tripodi" />
PragerU has developed two partnership programs to help cultivate relationships with educators. PragerU's Educator Program supplies teachers with lesson plans and study guides that accompany their videos. ] teachers and college professors can register their classes through PragerU's Academic Partnership program, which lets students sign up and allows teachers to monitor their students' progress.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fracking Titans Spend Millions Proselytizing School Children|url=https://rewire.news/article/2015/04/30/conservatives-spend-millions-proselytizing-school-children/|author=Shea|first=Brie|date=April 30, 2015|work=]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830171758/https://rewire.news/article/2015/04/30/conservatives-spend-millions-proselytizing-school-children/|archive-date=August 30, 2017|access-date=December 28, 2018}}</ref>

Historians and political scientists have criticized PragerU's videos for containing misleading claims about topics such as slavery<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |last=Parry |first=Tyler |date=December 6, 2019 |title=Why right-wing commentators distort the history of slavery and emancipation |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/12/06/why-right-wing-commentators-distort-history-slavery-emancipation/ |access-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-date=July 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709192331/https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/12/06/why-right-wing-commentators-distort-history-slavery-emancipation/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="motherjones2" /> and racism in the United States,<ref name="SPLC2" /> immigration,<ref name=":12">{{Cite news |last=Nowrasteh |first=Alex |author-link=Alex Nowrasteh |date=September 26, 2018 |title=PragerU's "A nation of immigrants" video has serious problems |work=Cato at Liberty |publisher=] |url=https://www.cato.org/blog/pragerus-nation-immigrants-video-has-serious-problems |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115170806/https://www.cato.org/blog/pragerus-nation-immigrants-video-has-serious-problems |archive-date=January 15, 2020}}</ref> and the history of fascism.<ref name=":5" /> According to ], an ] ] organization, PragerU also promotes ].<ref name=":8" />

=== Climate change denial and propaganda ===
Many PragerU videos promote ]s, criticise the use of ], and dispute the ].<ref name=":4" /> According to the non-profit think tank InfluenceMap, targeted ads posted on Facebook included misleading material that cast doubt on science, framed climatic concerns as ideological and hysteria, and promoted a ] that "big government control" is the real motivation behind energy policies to reduce gas emissions.<ref>{{cite news |last=Boyle |first=Louise |date=October 8, 2020 |title=Climate denial ads get 8 million views on Facebook despite firm's "commitment to tackle misinformation": study |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/facebook-climate-change-denial-ads-anti-science-climate-change-crisis-b869090.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429185335/https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/facebook-climate-change-denial-ads-anti-science-climate-change-crisis-b869090.html |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |access-date=April 29, 2021 |newspaper=]}}</ref>

PragerU's climate-denying output has included comparisons of climate activists to ]s and claims that renewable energy is harmful to the environment.<ref name="nazis">{{cite news |author=Oliver Milman |date=August 10, 2023 |title=Videos denying climate science approved by Florida as state curriculum |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/10/florida-ron-desantis-climate-vidoes-school-curriculum |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811045427/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/10/florida-ron-desantis-climate-vidoes-school-curriculum |archive-date=August 11, 2023 |access-date=September 1, 2023 |newspaper=]}}</ref> It has promoted "new climate denial", which involves casting doubt on the negative effects of climate change and anti-climate change policies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kulkarni |first=Ankita |date=February 20, 2024 |title=What is the 'new climate denial' and how does it impact our response to climate change? |url=https://www.logicallyfacts.com/en/analysis/what-is-the-new-climate-denial-and-how-does-it-impact-our-response-to-climate-change |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221013844/https://www.logicallyfacts.com/en/analysis/what-is-the-new-climate-denial-and-how-does-it-impact-our-response-to-climate-change |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |access-date=February 20, 2024 |website=] |language=en |quote=Logically Facts found that far-right political commentators like Katie Hopkins and popular channels like 'PragerU', which promote "educational content," were also following the trend.}}</ref>

=== Gender-affirming care ===
In November 2023, PragerU released '']'', a 21-minute film that follows two people who began ] in their late teens and then later ]ed. The short film was launched with a $1 million marketing campaign that included a "timeline takeover" on ]. ''Detrans'' was condemned by the president of the ], an American LGBTQ advocacy group, who called it "hate-filled propaganda".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Yurcaba |first=Jo |date=November 2, 2023 |title=PragerU buys 'takeover' ad on X as part of $1M campaign to promote polarizing 'Detrans' film |work=] |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/prageru-buys-takeover-ad-x-part-1m-campaign-promote-polarizing-detrans-rcna123351 |access-date=November 3, 2023 |archive-date=November 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103221553/https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/prageru-buys-takeover-ad-x-part-1m-campaign-promote-polarizing-detrans-rcna123351 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 30, 2023 |title=Why PragerU is 'taking over' X on Thursday |url=https://www.deseret.com/2023/10/30/23938899/prageru-twitter-takeover-dennis-prager-detrans-film |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103004539/https://www.deseret.com/2023/10/30/23938899/prageru-twitter-takeover-dennis-prager-detrans-film |archive-date=November 3, 2023 |access-date=November 3, 2023 |website=] |language=en}}</ref>

==School program==
By 2015, PragerU developed two partnership programs to promote its views, including religious material, in ] and ]. PragerU's Educator Program, with 3,000 sign-ups reported as of 2015, supplies teachers with lesson plans and study guides that accompany videos. ] teachers and college professors can register their classes through PragerU's Academic Partnership program, which lets students sign up and allows teachers to monitor their students' progress.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fracking Titans Spend Millions Proselytizing School Children|url=https://rewire.news/article/2015/04/30/conservatives-spend-millions-proselytizing-school-children/|author=Shea|first=Brie|date=April 30, 2015|work=]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830171758/https://rewire.news/article/2015/04/30/conservatives-spend-millions-proselytizing-school-children/|archive-date=August 30, 2017|access-date=December 28, 2018}}</ref>

In 2023, Florida became the first state to accept PragerU as an official education vendor. They were approved by the ], who said that PragerU "aligned with the state's revised civics and government standards."<ref>{{Cite web |last=DeLuca |first=Alex |title=Conservative Group PragerU Says Florida Is First State to Approve Its "Curriculum" |url=https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/prageru-says-florida-schools-to-adopt-its-conservative-curriculum-17481537 |access-date=August 2, 2023 |website=] |language=en |archive-date=August 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801162302/https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/prageru-says-florida-schools-to-adopt-its-conservative-curriculum-17481537 |url-status=live }}</ref> The decision allows public school teachers in Florida to incorporate PragerU videos into their classroom materials. Critics warned that the official recognition of PragerU will expose students to the program's ] material and expressed concerns about allowing an organization with a track record of ] into the curriculum.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Girod |first=Brandon |date=August 1, 2023 |title=Florida approves PragerU curriculum: Why critics are sounding the alarm on right-wing bias |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/08/01/prageru-curriculum-florida-schools/70505340007/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801232522/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/08/01/prageru-curriculum-florida-schools/70505340007/ |archive-date=August 1, 2023 |access-date=August 2, 2023 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ceballos |first1=Ana |date=July 31, 2023 |title=Florida's conservative PragerU teaching texts labeled 'indoctrination' |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2023/07/31/floridas-conservative-prageru-teaching-texts-labeled-indoctrination/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801220842/https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2023/07/31/floridas-conservative-prageru-teaching-texts-labeled-indoctrination/ |archive-date=August 1, 2023 |access-date=August 2, 2023 |work=]}}</ref> Florida's move was followed by New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Montana, and Arizona, with Louisiana becoming in May 2024 the sixth state to give PragerU materials state sanction.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Natanson |first1=Hannah |last2=Meckler |first2=Laura |date=June 13, 2024 |title=Red states strike deals to show controversial conservative videos in schools |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/06/13/prageru-conservative-education-videos/ |access-date=June 13, 2024 |newspaper=] |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>


== Reception == == Reception ==

According to a 2019 report in the '']'', PragerU videos have been watched more than 2 billion times and were becoming a staple on college campuses.<ref name="LATimes2019"/> In its 2019 annual report, PragerU stated that its videos have received over 2.5 billion lifetime views.<ref name=":2" /> PragerU has ranked highly in influence compared to other free-market advocacy organizations, such as ] and '']''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The 2020 Ranking Of Free-Market Think Tanks Measured By Social Media Impact|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alejandrochafuen/2020/03/27/the-2020-ranking-of-free-market-think-tanks-measured-by-social-media-impact/|last=Chafuen|first=Alejandro|date=March 27, 2020|website=]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200330010112/https://www.forbes.com/sites/alejandrochafuen/2020/03/27/the-2020-ranking-of-free-market-think-tanks-measured-by-social-media-impact/|archive-date=March 30, 2020|access-date=March 30, 2020}}</ref>
According to a 2019 report in the '']'', PragerU videos have been watched more than 2 billion times.<ref name="LATimes2019" /> In its 2022 annual report, PragerU stated that its videos have received over 7 billion lifetime views.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PragerU Annual Report 2022 |url=https://www.prageru.com/pdfs/prageru-2022-annual-report.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231214165555/https://www.prageru.com/pdfs/prageru-2022-annual-report.pdf |archive-date=December 14, 2023 |access-date=December 14, 2023 |website=prageru.com }}</ref> PragerU has ranked highly in influence compared to other free-market advocacy organizations, such as ] and '']''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The 2020 Ranking Of Free-Market Think Tanks Measured By Social Media Impact|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alejandrochafuen/2020/03/27/the-2020-ranking-of-free-market-think-tanks-measured-by-social-media-impact/|last=Chafuen|first=Alejandro|date=March 27, 2020|website=]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200330010112/https://www.forbes.com/sites/alejandrochafuen/2020/03/27/the-2020-ranking-of-free-market-think-tanks-measured-by-social-media-impact/|archive-date=March 30, 2020|access-date=March 30, 2020}}</ref>


'']'' said PragerU "packages right-wing social concepts into slick videos" and that PragerU was "one of the most effective conversion tools for young conservatives."<ref>{{cite web|title='Let Me Make You Famous': How Hollywood Invented Ben Shapiro|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/12/how-hollywood-invented-ben-shapiro|last=Nguyen|first=Tina|date=December 9, 2018|work=]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715171013/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/12/how-hollywood-invented-ben-shapiro|archive-date=July 15, 2019|access-date=December 24, 2018}}</ref> '']'' said PragerU "packages right-wing social concepts into slick videos" and that PragerU was "one of the most effective conversion tools for young conservatives."<ref>{{cite web|title='Let Me Make You Famous': How Hollywood Invented Ben Shapiro|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/12/how-hollywood-invented-ben-shapiro|last=Nguyen|first=Tina|date=December 9, 2018|work=]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715171013/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/12/how-hollywood-invented-ben-shapiro|archive-date=July 15, 2019|access-date=December 24, 2018}}</ref>


Sociologist Francesca Tripodi described the effect of PragerU's videos in a report for the Data & Society Research Institute.<ref name="Tripodi2">{{cite report|url=https://datasociety.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Data_Society_Searching-for-Alternative-Facts.pdf|title=Searching for Alternative Facts: Analyzing Scriptural Inference in Conservative News Practices|last=Tripodi|first=Francesca|date=May 2018|publisher=Date & Society Research Institute|access-date=December 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628060217/https://datasociety.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Data_Society_Searching-for-Alternative-Facts.pdf|archive-date=June 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In a 2018 study, Tripodi used ] and ] as case studies in order to demonstrate that there is a YouTube algorithmic connection between ], PragerU, and ] YouTube personalities.<ref name="Tripodi2" /><ref name="SPLC2">{{cite web|title=PragerU's Influence|url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/06/07/prageru%E2%80%99s-influence|last=Kelley|first=Brendan Joel|date=June 7, 2018|website=Hatewatch|publisher=]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200430072515/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/06/07/prageru%E2%80%99s-influence|archive-date=April 30, 2020|access-date=September 8, 2018}}</ref> Tripodi wrote that PragerU relies on "] and suggested content to elevate their messaging," and that PragerU's content "allows for those who identify as mainline conservatives to gain easy access to ] logic."<ref name="SPLC2" /> On page 36 of her report, Tripodi noted that PragerU was very popular among the respondents who participated in her study. She noted that regardless of age, all participants in her study confirmed either having liked or shared PragerU videos on Facebook. Tripodi also noted: 'Sites like PragerU create an opportunity to dabble in content that seems extremely innocuous, yet makes connections to the same kinds of ‘revelations’ pushed out by the alt-right."<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" /> Sociologist Francesca Tripodi has studied PragerU's marketing and messaging for the nonprofit Data & Society.<ref name="Tripodi2">{{cite report|url=https://datasociety.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Data_Society_Searching-for-Alternative-Facts.pdf|title=Searching for Alternative Facts: Analyzing Scriptural Inference in Conservative News Practices|last=Tripodi|first=Francesca|date=May 2018|publisher=Data & Society Research Institute|access-date=December 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628060217/https://datasociety.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Data_Society_Searching-for-Alternative-Facts.pdf|archive-date=June 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> She found that PragerU relies on ] and "suggested content" to market its videos.<ref name="SPLC2" /><ref name="Tripodi2"/> She noted that PragerU was popular among the respondents in her study and that they all either liked or shared PragerU videos on Facebook. Tripodi argued that PragerU allows viewers to dabble in content that "makes connections to" the alt-right's talking points.<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032" /> In this way, viewers identifying as mainline conservatives gain "easy access to ] logic."<ref name="SPLC2" /> She also demonstrated an algorithmic connection on YouTube between PragerU, ], and ] personalities.<ref name="Tripodi2" /><ref name="SPLC2">{{cite web |last=Kelley |first=Brendan Joel |date=June 7, 2018 |title=PragerU's Influence |url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/06/07/prageru%E2%80%99s-influence |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909035459/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/06/07/prageru%E2%80%99s-influence |archive-date=September 9, 2018 |access-date=September 8, 2018 |website=] |publisher=]}}</ref>


A '']'' article published in 2018 attributed PragerU's success to the quality of its production values compared to similar outlets and to its use of popular presenters with established audiences. The article also noted that it had received comparatively little attention from news and media analysts due to PragerU's lack of coverage of topical issues, such as Donald Trump.<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032"/> A '']'' article published in 2018 attributed PragerU's success to the quality of its production values compared to similar outlets and to its use of popular presenters with established audiences. The article also noted that it had received comparatively little attention from news and media analysts due to PragerU's lack of coverage of topical issues, such as Donald Trump.<ref name="buzzfeed_2018-03-032"/>


An August 2019 article by Drew Anderson in ], noted PragerU's "interviews with many controversial public figures who are often hailed by the white supremacist movement" and accused it of a "horrific ] record."<ref name=":8">{{Cite web|last=Anderson|first=Drew|date=August 6, 2019|title=BACKGROUNDER: PragerU's Ties to White Supremacy, Horrific Anti-LGBTQ Record|url=https://www.glaad.org/blog/backgrounder-pragerus-ties-white-supremacy-horrific-anti-lgbtq-record|url-status=live|access-date=March 5, 2021|website=]|language=en|archive-date=March 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304015730/https://www.glaad.org/blog/backgrounder-pragerus-ties-white-supremacy-horrific-anti-lgbtq-record}}</ref>
'']'' has criticized PragerU's claims of being censored by ] companies for being false, as the company's content had not been removed from any social media platforms, and that they indicate a misunderstanding of the ] as protecting a party from any type of censorship, when that law merely protects content from censorship by the government.<ref>{{cite web|title=PragerU Does Not Understand Censorship|url=https://reason.com/2019/07/30/prageru-does-not-understand-censorship/|last=Binion|first=Bill|date=July 30, 2019|work=]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200430073801/https://reason.com/2019/07/30/prageru-does-not-understand-censorship/|archive-date=April 30, 2020|access-date=February 2, 2020}}</ref>


'']'' has criticized PragerU's claims of being censored by ] companies for being false, as the company's content had not been removed from any social media platforms, and that they indicate a misunderstanding of the ] as protecting a party from any type of censorship, when that law merely protects content from censorship by the government.<ref>{{cite web|title=PragerU Does Not Understand Censorship|url=https://reason.com/2019/07/30/prageru-does-not-understand-censorship/|last=Binion|first=Bill|date=July 30, 2019|work=]|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191207120743/https://reason.com/2019/07/30/prageru-does-not-understand-censorship/|archive-date=December 7, 2019|access-date=February 2, 2020}}</ref>
=== Critiques of videos ===
In a video entitled "Why Did the Democratic South Become Republican?", host ], a professor at ], argued that the ]—a historical narrative alleging that the ] purposely exploited racial tensions to appeal to racist white Southerners—was false ]. ], a professor of history at ], said that the video presented a "distortion" of history, "cherry-picked" its evidence, and was an "exercise in attacking a straw man".<ref name="SPLC2" />


], ] and the ] have found that PragerU's videos promote inaccurate and misleading claims about climate change.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Forrester |first=Nikki |date=January 27, 2021 |title=PragerU post by Happer uses flawed reasoning to claim that climate models always fail |url=https://science.feedback.org/review/prageru-post-by-william-happer-uses-flawed-reasoning-to-claim-that-climate-models-always-fail/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240823103028/https://science.feedback.org/review/prageru-post-by-william-happer-uses-flawed-reasoning-to-claim-that-climate-models-always-fail/ |archive-date=August 23, 2024 |access-date=September 16, 2024 |website=Science Feedback |publisher=] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=October 16, 2020 |title=Fact check: Video presents climate change statements that lack key context |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2712EY |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726043624/https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2712EY |archive-date=July 26, 2021 |access-date=September 16, 2024 |work=] |language=en}}</ref>
Historian and philosopher ], who has written extensively on the subject of ], harshly criticized a PragerU video hosted by ] which maintained that fascism was a leftist ideology. D'Souza maintained that Italian philosopher ], who influenced ], was a leftist, to which Gottfried noted that this contradicted the research by "almost all scholars of Gentile’s work, from across the political spectrum, who view him, as I do in my study of fascism, as the most distinguished intellectual of the revolutionary right."<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|title=Right-wing Celebrities Play Fast and Loose With History|url=https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/right-wing-celebrities-play-fast-and-loose-with-history/|last=Gottfried|first=Paul|author-link=Paul Gottfried|date=December 27, 2017|website=]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615140225/https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/right-wing-celebrities-play-fast-and-loose-with-history/|archive-date=June 15, 2018|access-date=September 27, 2019}}</ref>


PragerU's coverage of COVID-19 has been criticized for spreading ] about the pandemic.<ref name=":6">{{cite web |first=Flora |last=Teoh |date=December 24, 2020 |title=PragerU video contains misleading claims about COVID-19 deaths, falsely claims 94% of COVID-19 deaths had pre-existing conditions |url=https://science.feedback.org/review/prageru-video-contains-misleading-claims-about-covid-19-deaths-falsely-claims-94-of-covid-19-deaths-had-pre-existing-conditions/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240823103030/https://science.feedback.org/review/prageru-video-contains-misleading-claims-about-covid-19-deaths-falsely-claims-94-of-covid-19-deaths-had-pre-existing-conditions/ |archive-date=August 23, 2024 |access-date=September 16, 2024 |website=Science Feedback |publisher=Health Feedback |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Sommer |first1=Will |date=May 16, 2020 |title=Dennis Prager Licks Dirty Forks To Show COVID Who's Boss |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/dennis-prager-has-the-worst-covid-takes-on-the-internet |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119151644/https://www.thedailybeast.com/dennis-prager-has-the-worst-covid-takes-on-the-internet |archive-date=November 19, 2020 |access-date=February 25, 2021 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Moran |first1=Lee |date=April 29, 2020 |title=Conservative Pundit's Hot Take On Coronavirus Lockdown Gets The Slapdown It Deserves |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dennis-prager-coronavirus-lockdown-statement-backlash_n_5ea95002c5b6123a1764e528 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016223707/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dennis-prager-coronavirus-lockdown-statement-backlash_n_5ea95002c5b6123a1764e528 |archive-date=October 16, 2023 |access-date=September 16, 2024 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=December 3, 2020 |title=Fact check: Sweden has not achieved herd immunity, is not proof that lockdowns are useless |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN28C2R7/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210022506/https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-prageru-sweden-herd-immunit-idUSKBN28C2R7 |archive-date=February 10, 2021 |access-date=September 16, 2024 |work=]}}</ref>
] of the ] criticized a 2018 PragerU video by ] as being anti-immigration. Nowrasteh wrote that the video was "rife with errors and half-truths, leaves out a lot of relevant information, and comes to an anti-''legal'' immigration conclusion that is unsupported by the evidence presented in the rest of the video."<ref name=":12">{{Cite news|last=Nowrasteh|first=Alex|author-link=Alex Nowrasteh|date=September 26, 2018|title=PragerU's "A nation of immigrants" video has serious problems|work=Cato at Liberty|publisher=]|url=https://www.cato.org/blog/pragerus-nation-immigrants-video-has-serious-problems|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115170806/https://www.cato.org/blog/pragerus-nation-immigrants-video-has-serious-problems|archive-date=January 15, 2020}}</ref>


In 2019, ], a former ] from ], launched ], a ] left-leaning ], to counteract PragerU.<ref name="TAPgravel">{{cite web|last1=Pollard|first1=Amelia|date=May 20, 2021|title=The Gravel Institute Punches Up|url=https://prospect.org/politics/gravel-institute-punches-up/|url-status=live|access-date=May 20, 2021|website=]|archive-date=May 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520215336/https://prospect.org/politics/gravel-institute-punches-up/}}</ref><ref name="GravelWithdraw2">{{cite web |last=Bonn |first=Tess |date=August 2, 2019 |title=Gravel to form liberal think tank after suspending campaign |url=https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/455914-gravel-to-form-liberal-think-tank-after-suspending-campaign |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110231029/https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/455914-gravel-to-form-liberal-think-tank-after-suspending-campaign |archive-date=November 10, 2020 |access-date=April 8, 2021 |work=]}}</ref><ref name="gi-vice2">{{cite news|date=October 1, 2020|title=The Gravel Institute Is Trying to Make PragerU, But Good|work=]|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7wawb/the-gravel-institute-is-trying-to-make-prageru-but-good|author-first=Gita|author-last=Jackson|access-date=April 8, 2021|archive-date=March 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326075840/https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7wawb/the-gravel-institute-is-trying-to-make-prageru-but-good|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2018, ] fellow ] criticized the PragerU video "The Suicide of Europe" by ] as prejudiced, saying it contained anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric.<ref name="Sludge2" />


''Mother Jones'' said PragerU videos assert that there is no ],<ref name="motherjones2" /> and that there is not discrimination in ].<ref name="motherjones2" />
] criticized the video "How To End White Privilege", saying, "In essence, it offers the notion that, because Tatum’s race did not provide any barrier to his successes, ] must not be real". The article provided explanations for questions brought up in the video such as white privilege, ], and ].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ex-Cop Brandon Tatum's Success Doesn't Disprove White Privilege|url=https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/06/17/brandon-tatum-white-privilege/|access-date=2020-06-28|website=Snopes.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

On the subject of race, Pam Nilan says in her 2021 book ''Young People and the Far Right'' that PragerU "pretends to sidestep" white supremacy, but that "the message is always that white culture is better than other cultures."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Nilan|first1=Pam|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sZAtEAAAQBAJ|title=Young People and the Far Right|date=2021|publisher=Springer Nature|isbn=978-981-16-1811-6|page=10|via=Google Books|access-date=September 22, 2021|archive-date=October 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019110332/https://books.google.com/books?id=sZAtEAAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>

A case study of PragerU by McCarthy & Brewer said that "PragerU has fundamental overlapping ideologies to the ]" and detailed the methods of persuasion PragerU uses which "combine in a way that reflects ] and persuasion techniques used on online platforms by white supremacists who similarly hide racist propaganda behind more politically correct wording and professional-looking websites."<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=McCarthy |first1=Adrienne L. |last2=Brewer |first2=Christopher G. |date=May 2022 |title=Hegemony of the Right: A Prager University Case Study |url=https://jcjpc.org/s/McCarthy-Hegemony-of-the-Right-Final-Proof.pdf |journal=Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=20–39 |issn=1070-8286 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220723232837/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b0ee82df793927c77add8b6/t/626d6809a6dae5568cbdd65c/1651337225681/McCarthy+Hegemony+of+the+Right+Final+Proof.pdf |archive-date=July 23, 2022}}</ref>

=== Criticism of videos ===
According to Joseph McCarthy of the ], in the 2016 video "Fossil Fuels: The Greenest Energy", fossil fuel proponent ] promotes misinformation about climate change, including false and misleading claims.<ref name=":4" />

The ] scholar ], who has written on ], criticized a PragerU video hosted by ] which stated that fascism was a left-wing ideology. D'Souza maintained that Italian philosopher ], who influenced ], was a left-winger, to which Gottfried noted that this contradicted the research by almost all scholars of Gentile's work who view him as an intellectual of the ].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Gottfried |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Gottfried |date=December 27, 2017 |title=Right-wing Celebrities Play Fast and Loose With History |url=https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/right-wing-celebrities-play-fast-and-loose-with-history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615140225/https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/right-wing-celebrities-play-fast-and-loose-with-history/ |archive-date=June 15, 2018 |access-date=September 27, 2019 |website=]}}</ref>

According to Francesca Tripodi, PragerU's videos advance the conspiracy theory, popular among the ], that whiteness and conservatism are under attack and many videos on PragerU focus on delegitimizing the mainstream media, accusing it of being based on emotion or opinion rather than fact.<ref name="Tripodi" />

] of the ] criticized a 2018 PragerU video by ] that argued for stricter restrictions on immigration. Nowrasteh wrote that the video was full of errors and half-truths and omitted relevant information.<ref name=":12" />{{Third-party inline|date=June 2022}}

In 2018, in the PragerU video "The Suicide of Europe", ] argued that Europe is "committing suicide" by allowing mass immigration, condemned "The mass movement of peoples into Europe…from the Middle East, North Africa and East Asia" and criticized ].<ref name="Sludge2" /> The ] (SPLC) described the video as a "] to the extreme right." Mark Pitcavage of the ] described it as "filled with anti-immigration and anti-Muslim rhetoric".<ref name="Sludge2" /><ref name="SPLC2" /> "Why Did the Democratic South Become Republican?" is another video that the SPLC says contains such dog whistles. In this video, ] professor ] argues that the ]' ] is a "myth" and is not what caused the South to become Republican. History professor ] said that the video presented a "distortion" of history, "cherry-picked" its evidence, and was an "exercise in attacking a ]".<ref name="SPLC2" />

In June 2020, ] and ] criticized the video "How To End White Privilege" by ]. Tatum argued that ] is a myth by claiming his race did not provide a barrier to his personal success, contrary to statistical data on the subject.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 17, 2020 |title=Ex-Cop Brandon Tatum's Success Doesn't Disprove White Privilege |url=https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/06/17/brandon-tatum-white-privilege/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019110333/https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/06/17/brandon-tatum-white-privilege/ |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |access-date=June 28, 2020 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Kandelwal |first=Devika |date=July 23, 2020 |title=Misleading: Brandon Tatum's success disproves White Privilege in the United States. |url=https://www.logicallyfacts.com/en/fact-check/misleading-brandon-tatum-who-is-a-former-tucson-police-officer-has-become-one-of-the-most-exciting |access-date=February 7, 2024 |website=] |language=en}}</ref>


== References == == References ==
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== External links == == External links ==
*{{Official website}} *{{Official website}}
*{{ProPublicaNonprofitExplorer|271763901}}
*{{YouTube|u=PragerUniversity}}

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Latest revision as of 23:51, 5 January 2025

American conservative non-profit media organization

PragerU
Formation2009; 16 years ago (2009)
Founders
Type501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Tax ID no. 27-1763901
Area served United States
CEOMarissa Streit
Revenue$56,600,000 (2021)
Expenses$32,900,000 (2021)
Staff97 (2021)
Websitewww.prageru.com Edit this at Wikidata
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The Prager University Foundation, known as PragerU, is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy group and media organization that creates content promoting conservative and capitalist viewpoints on various political, economic, and sociological topics. It was co-founded in 2009 by Allen Estrin and talk show host Dennis Prager. Despite the name including the word "university", it is not an academic institution and does not confer degrees.

PragerU's videos contain misleading or factually incorrect information promoting climate change denial. Historians and political scientists have also criticized PragerU's videos for containing misleading or inaccurate claims about topics such as slavery and racism in the United States, immigration, and the history of fascism. PragerU has been accused of promoting anti-LGBT politics.

History

Dennis Prager, co-founder of PragerU, in 2018
Marissa Streit, CEO, in 2018

PragerU was founded in 2009 by conservative radio talk show host Dennis Prager and radio producer/screenwriter Allen Estrin, in order to advocate for conservative views and to offset what Prager regards as the undermining of college education by the left. Marissa Streit, a former Israeli army intelligence member and headmistress of a Los Angeles county school, joined in 2009, and was made the chief executive officer in 2011. They originally considered making it a brick-and-mortar university, but the idea was revised into a digital product to save money.

PragerU is based in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California, and it had around 50 employees as of January 2020. PragerU encourages students to join "PragerFORCE", an international student organization to promote PragerU's videos and ideology; about 6,500 college and high school students promoted its videos as of 2020. Despite the name, PragerU is not an academic institution and does not hold classes, does not grant certifications or diplomas, and is not accredited by any recognized body.

PragerU reached a billion views in 2018.

In July 2019, PragerU representative Allen Estrin attended then-United States President Donald Trump's Social Media Summit, along with other conservative organizations and people such as Charlie Kirk and James O'Keefe.

Conflicts with YouTube and Facebook

In October 2016, PragerU claimed that YouTube had put 21 of PragerU's videos in the "restricted mode" setting, which ensures content is age appropriate. YouTube responded, saying: "We aim to apply the same standards to everyone and we don't censor anyone. Often it's not the right approach to say that videos with the same topic should get the same rating. We'll need to take into consideration what the intent of the video is, what the focus of the video is, what the surrounding metadata of the video explains."

In October 2017, PragerU filed a federal lawsuit against YouTube's parent company, Google, claiming that 37 of its videos were unfairly demonetized or flagged so that they could only be viewed with "restricted mode filtering," which limits views based on viewer characteristics such as age. PragerU claimed that Google's demonetization and flagging violated the First Amendment by arguing that YouTube was a public forum. In March 2018, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh dismissed the case, ruling that because Google was a private company, PragerU had failed to show that Google had infringed its free speech rights. In February 2020, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld this ruling.

In 2018, as part of its efforts to counter misinformation, YouTube added fact-checking tags to PragerU's videos about climate change. In August 2018, Facebook removed two PragerU videos from its platform. It later restored the videos, saying that they "were mistakenly removed." According to Francesca Tripodi, professor of sociology at UNC-Chapel Hill, there are plausible non-ideological explanations for Facebook's removal of several of the videos. PragerU contended that Facebook had engaged in deliberate censorship.

In 2020, YouTube took down two anti-trans videos featuring Candace Owens for violating their policy on hate speech, wherein being transgender was likened to schizophrenia and disease.

Finances

The organization depends on donations to produce its content. Much of PragerU's early funding came from hydraulic fracturing billionaires Dan and Farris Wilks. Two members of the Wilks family sit on PragerU's board. The next-largest donor is the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation. Other donors include the Morgan Family Foundation, Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, Donors Trust, the late Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson, Lee Roy Mitchell, and the Minnesota-based Sid and Carol Verdoorn Foundation, led by former C.H. Robinson CEO Sid Verdoorn. Major support is also provided by the National Christian Foundation and the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation.

As of 2018, the organization reportedly had a $10 million annual budget, of which it spent more than 40% on marketing. In 2019, 40% of its budget came from almost 130,000 online donors; the Los Angeles Times noted that PragerU attracted more donors than some Democratic presidential primary contenders had at the time. In 2021, PragerU reported to have received about $57 million in revenue, most of it from donations, and reported approximately $33 million in expenses. PragerU consistently spends more on Facebook advertising than major political campaigns and national advocacy groups. In 2019, it ranked among the 10 biggest political spenders on the platform.

In 2020, PragerU received $704,057 in COVID-19 relief loans from the Paycheck Protection Program; this debt was later forgiven in full.

Content

PragerU releases videos on various topics from a conservative viewpoint that according to its site "advances Judeo-Christian values." As of February 2023, its YouTube channel included 2,200 videos. Each video costs between $25,000 and $30,000 to create. Dennis Prager "personally approves every item" and "edits every script" before publication, according to Mother Jones. PragerU guests cover a range from the secular right, the far-right, and the theocratic right. Some prominent video presenters have included Ben Shapiro, Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Nigel Farage, Charles Krauthammer, Michelle Malkin, Bret Stephens and George Will.

Much of PragerU's popularity comes from its "5-Minute Videos", which summarize economic, political, and cultural topics, with many discussing controversial topics.

Among topics covered, PragerU videos have argued against a $15 minimum wage, against increased gun control and in support of capitalism. Although topical, PragerU videos largely avoided mentioning Donald Trump during his presidency. PragerU is pro-Israel, and Dennis Prager has said that "Nothing better identifies incipient evil than antisemitism." PragerU videos also promote the Electoral College, arguing that it thwarts voter fraud and that "pure democracies do not work".

Dave Rubin stated in a video that "racism, bigotry, xenophobia, homophobia, and Islamophobia" are "meaningless buzzwords". In a video about the alt-right, Michael Knowles argued that it has nothing in common with conservatism and instead is close to leftism, except the left is much larger.

Historians and political scientists have criticized PragerU's videos for containing misleading claims about topics such as slavery and racism in the United States, immigration, and the history of fascism. According to GLAAD, an LGBT media monitoring organization, PragerU also promotes anti-LGBT politics.

Climate change denial and propaganda

Many PragerU videos promote fossil fuels, criticise the use of renewable energy, and dispute the scientific consensus on climate change. According to the non-profit think tank InfluenceMap, targeted ads posted on Facebook included misleading material that cast doubt on science, framed climatic concerns as ideological and hysteria, and promoted a conspiracy theory that "big government control" is the real motivation behind energy policies to reduce gas emissions.

PragerU's climate-denying output has included comparisons of climate activists to Nazis and claims that renewable energy is harmful to the environment. It has promoted "new climate denial", which involves casting doubt on the negative effects of climate change and anti-climate change policies.

Gender-affirming care

In November 2023, PragerU released Detrans: The Dangers of Gender-Affirming Care, a 21-minute film that follows two people who began gender-affirming care in their late teens and then later detransitioned. The short film was launched with a $1 million marketing campaign that included a "timeline takeover" on Twitter. Detrans was condemned by the president of the Human Rights Campaign, an American LGBTQ advocacy group, who called it "hate-filled propaganda".

School program

By 2015, PragerU developed two partnership programs to promote its views, including religious material, in public and private schools. PragerU's Educator Program, with 3,000 sign-ups reported as of 2015, supplies teachers with lesson plans and study guides that accompany videos. Secondary school teachers and college professors can register their classes through PragerU's Academic Partnership program, which lets students sign up and allows teachers to monitor their students' progress.

In 2023, Florida became the first state to accept PragerU as an official education vendor. They were approved by the Florida Department of Education, who said that PragerU "aligned with the state's revised civics and government standards." The decision allows public school teachers in Florida to incorporate PragerU videos into their classroom materials. Critics warned that the official recognition of PragerU will expose students to the program's extreme material and expressed concerns about allowing an organization with a track record of disinformation into the curriculum. Florida's move was followed by New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Montana, and Arizona, with Louisiana becoming in May 2024 the sixth state to give PragerU materials state sanction.

Reception

According to a 2019 report in the Los Angeles Times, PragerU videos have been watched more than 2 billion times. In its 2022 annual report, PragerU stated that its videos have received over 7 billion lifetime views. PragerU has ranked highly in influence compared to other free-market advocacy organizations, such as Reason and National Review.

Vanity Fair said PragerU "packages right-wing social concepts into slick videos" and that PragerU was "one of the most effective conversion tools for young conservatives."

Sociologist Francesca Tripodi has studied PragerU's marketing and messaging for the nonprofit Data & Society. She found that PragerU relies on search engine optimization and "suggested content" to market its videos. She noted that PragerU was popular among the respondents in her study and that they all either liked or shared PragerU videos on Facebook. Tripodi argued that PragerU allows viewers to dabble in content that "makes connections to" the alt-right's talking points. In this way, viewers identifying as mainline conservatives gain "easy access to white supremacist logic." She also demonstrated an algorithmic connection on YouTube between PragerU, Fox News, and alt-right personalities.

A Buzzfeed News article published in 2018 attributed PragerU's success to the quality of its production values compared to similar outlets and to its use of popular presenters with established audiences. The article also noted that it had received comparatively little attention from news and media analysts due to PragerU's lack of coverage of topical issues, such as Donald Trump.

An August 2019 article by Drew Anderson in GLAAD, noted PragerU's "interviews with many controversial public figures who are often hailed by the white supremacist movement" and accused it of a "horrific anti-LGBTQ record."

Reason has criticized PragerU's claims of being censored by big tech companies for being false, as the company's content had not been removed from any social media platforms, and that they indicate a misunderstanding of the First Amendment as protecting a party from any type of censorship, when that law merely protects content from censorship by the government.

Climate Feedback, Reuters and the Weather Channel have found that PragerU's videos promote inaccurate and misleading claims about climate change.

PragerU's coverage of COVID-19 has been criticized for spreading false and misleading information about the pandemic.

In 2019, Mike Gravel, a former United States Senator from Alaska, launched The Gravel Institute, a progressive left-leaning think tank, to counteract PragerU.

Mother Jones said PragerU videos assert that there is no gender pay gap, and that there is not discrimination in policing of African-Americans.

On the subject of race, Pam Nilan says in her 2021 book Young People and the Far Right that PragerU "pretends to sidestep" white supremacy, but that "the message is always that white culture is better than other cultures."

A case study of PragerU by McCarthy & Brewer said that "PragerU has fundamental overlapping ideologies to the extreme right" and detailed the methods of persuasion PragerU uses which "combine in a way that reflects information laundering and persuasion techniques used on online platforms by white supremacists who similarly hide racist propaganda behind more politically correct wording and professional-looking websites."

Criticism of videos

According to Joseph McCarthy of the Weather Channel, in the 2016 video "Fossil Fuels: The Greenest Energy", fossil fuel proponent Alex Epstein promotes misinformation about climate change, including false and misleading claims.

The paleoconservative scholar Paul Gottfried, who has written on fascism, criticized a PragerU video hosted by Dinesh D'Souza which stated that fascism was a left-wing ideology. D'Souza maintained that Italian philosopher Giovanni Gentile, who influenced Italian fascism, was a left-winger, to which Gottfried noted that this contradicted the research by almost all scholars of Gentile's work who view him as an intellectual of the revolutionary right.

According to Francesca Tripodi, PragerU's videos advance the conspiracy theory, popular among the alt-right, that whiteness and conservatism are under attack and many videos on PragerU focus on delegitimizing the mainstream media, accusing it of being based on emotion or opinion rather than fact.

Alex Nowrasteh of the Cato Institute criticized a 2018 PragerU video by Michelle Malkin that argued for stricter restrictions on immigration. Nowrasteh wrote that the video was full of errors and half-truths and omitted relevant information.

In 2018, in the PragerU video "The Suicide of Europe", Douglas Murray argued that Europe is "committing suicide" by allowing mass immigration, condemned "The mass movement of peoples into Europe…from the Middle East, North Africa and East Asia" and criticized European multiculturalism. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) described the video as a "dog whistle to the extreme right." Mark Pitcavage of the Anti-Defamation League described it as "filled with anti-immigration and anti-Muslim rhetoric". "Why Did the Democratic South Become Republican?" is another video that the SPLC says contains such dog whistles. In this video, Vanderbilt University professor Carol M. Swain argues that the Republicans' Southern strategy is a "myth" and is not what caused the South to become Republican. History professor Kevin M. Kruse said that the video presented a "distortion" of history, "cherry-picked" its evidence, and was an "exercise in attacking a straw man".

In June 2020, Snopes and Logically criticized the video "How To End White Privilege" by Brandon Tatum. Tatum argued that white privilege is a myth by claiming his race did not provide a barrier to his personal success, contrary to statistical data on the subject.

References

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