Prager University, also known as PragerU, is an American non-profit organisation that creates videos promoting conservative and capitalist viewpoints on various topics. It is not an accredited university or academic institution and does not offer degrees or certifications. However, PragerU has a significant reach among young people and students, with its videos being shown in schools across the country. PragerU also hosts PragerFORCE, a network for conservative college and high school students. The organisation's founder, Dennis Prager, has stated that he regards PragerU as a university and believes that it offers valuable education to its viewers. Despite its name, Prager University is not a traditional academic institution, but its influence among students and young people has raised concerns about the spread of misinformation and right-wing propaganda.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Accreditation | Prager University is not an accredited university |
Academic Institution | Prager University is not an academic institution |
Degrees | Prager University does not offer degrees |
Classes | Prager University does not hold classes |
Certifications | Prager University does not grant certifications |
Diplomas | Prager University does not grant diplomas |
Student Network | Prager University hosts PragerFORCE, a network for conservative college and high school students |
Content for Children | Prager University has content for children as young as kindergarten age |
What You'll Learn
PragerU is not an accredited university
PragerU, also known as Prager University, is not an accredited university or academic institution. It does not hold classes, grant certifications or diplomas, or confer degrees. Instead, it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy group and media organisation that creates and distributes educational videos promoting conservative and capitalist viewpoints on various topics, including political, economic, and sociological issues.
PragerU was founded in 2009 by conservative radio talk show host Dennis Prager and radio producer/screenwriter Allen Estrin. Although it was initially envisioned as a brick-and-mortar university, the idea was revised, and PragerU became a digital product to save costs. The organisation is based in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California, and had around 50 employees as of January 2020.
Despite not being an accredited university, PragerU has positioned itself as an alternative to traditional universities, claiming that its videos offer wisdom and knowledge that is more valuable than what is taught in accredited institutions. PragerU's content is aimed at all ages, including children, and the organisation has been criticised for spreading misleading or factually inaccurate information, including promoting climate change denial, anti-LGBT politics, and inaccurate claims about topics such as slavery, racism, immigration, and the history of fascism.
While PragerU does not offer degrees or certifications, it does encourage students to join "PragerFORCE," an international student organisation that promotes PragerU's videos and ideology. PragerU has also developed educational programs and partnerships to promote its content in schools, including PragerU Resources for Educators and Parents (PREP), which targets children from kindergarten to grade 12.
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PragerU targets school-age children
PragerU, also known as Prager University, is a non-profit media organization that creates content promoting conservative and capitalist viewpoints. It is not an accredited university or academic institution and does not offer degrees or certifications. However, it does produce educational videos and other materials designed for children as young as kindergarten age.
PragerU's content for school-age children includes online videos, storytimes, crafts, and other activities that teach American history and traditional values such as faith, family, and freedom. The organization advertises its content with a cheerful message, appealing to parents who want their children to learn "classic American values". PragerU has also developed partnerships with teachers and schools to incorporate their content into the classroom, with the approval of state education departments.
While PragerU's videos for children are not as overtly political as their typical content for adults, they are still infused with right-wing propaganda. Critics argue that young children lack the critical thinking skills to recognize the political and ideological nature of the content. There is concern that exposing children to PragerU's material will influence their developing minds with misleading or inaccurate information, as well as biased interpretations of history and society.
In conclusion, PragerU's targeted content for school-age children has raised concerns about the organization's influence on young minds. While PragerU presents itself as a harmless and educational resource for parents and teachers, its materials promote a specific political agenda and have been criticized for distorting facts and perpetuating controversial viewpoints.
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PragerU's stance on climate change
PragerU is not an accredited university, but a right-wing media platform and nonprofit advocacy group that creates educational videos promoting conservative and capitalist viewpoints. It was founded in 2009 by conservative radio talk show host Dennis Prager and radio producer/screenwriter Allen Estrin. PragerU's videos are aimed at people of all ages, including children, and the organisation has a specific focus on countering what it sees as the "woke" and left-wing agendas that are infiltrating classrooms, culture, and social media.
PragerU has been accused of promoting misinformation and anti-LGBT, anti-immigrant, and racist ideologies. Its videos have been criticised by historians, political scientists, and sociologists for containing misleading or inaccurate claims about topics such as slavery, racism, immigration, and the history of fascism.
PragerU's climate-denying output has also included comparisons of climate activists to Nazis and claims that renewable energy is harmful to the environment. The organisation has promoted "new climate denial", which involves casting doubt on the negative effects of climate change and anti-climate change policies. PragerU's videos have been found to promote inaccurate and misleading claims about climate change by Climate Feedback, Reuters, and the Weather Channel.
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PragerU's stance on immigration
PragerU is a right-wing, non-profit advocacy group and media organisation that creates content promoting conservative and capitalist viewpoints on various topics, including immigration. It is not an accredited university or academic institution and does not offer degrees.
For example, in the 2018 video "A Nation of Immigration", narrated by Michelle Malkin, the United States is described as having the "most generous" immigration policies in the world. This claim was refuted by Alex Nowrasteh of the Cato Institute, who pointed out that when controlling for population size, the US is only the 25th most open country to immigration among OECD countries. The video also suggested that the number of illegal aliens in the US is likely much higher than the commonly cited figure of 11 million, a theory that demographers consider dubious.
In another video, "The Suicide of Europe", Douglas Murray argued that Europe is "committing suicide" by allowing mass immigration and criticised European multiculturalism. This video was described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a "dog whistle to the extreme right" and filled with "anti-immigration and anti-Muslim rhetoric".
In addition to its videos, PragerU has also released educational content for children as young as kindergarten age. While not as overtly political as its typical content for adults, these materials are still infused with right-wing propaganda. One such video, "Paloma Wants to Be Lady Freedom", follows the daughter of an immigrant and ultimately embraces American exceptionalism, an important strand of conservative ideology.
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PragerU's stance on LGBTQ+ rights
PragerU is an American non-profit advocacy group and media organisation that creates content promoting conservative and capitalist viewpoints. It is not an academic institution and does not hold classes or grant degrees. It was founded by conservative radio talk show host Dennis Prager and radio producer/screenwriter Allen Estrin.
PragerU has been accused of promoting anti-LGBTQ+ politics. In 2020, YouTube removed two anti-trans videos featuring Candace Owens for violating their policy on hate speech. In the videos, being transgender was likened to schizophrenia and disease. In 2023, PragerU also released a film called "Detrans: The Dangers of Gender-Affirming Care", which was condemned by the president of the Human Rights Campaign, an American LGBTQ+ advocacy group, who called it "hate-filled propaganda".
PragerU has also been criticised for spreading false and misleading information about the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Prager himself garnered criticism when he said that unvaccinated people are considered "pariahs" more than gay men during the AIDS crisis.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Prager University is not an accredited university. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy group and media organisation that creates content promoting conservative and capitalist viewpoints.
Prager University does not have students in the traditional sense. It is not an academic institution and does not hold classes, grant certifications or diplomas, or confer degrees. However, it does have a network for conservative college and high school students called PragerFORCE, which had around 6,500 members as of 2020.
Prager University produces educational videos that promote American values and conservative viewpoints. Its content covers various political, economic, and sociological topics, including immigration, gun control, capitalism, and climate change. Prager University also produces content specifically for children, marketed as "fun, educational content aligned with [traditional American] values".