Difference between revisions of "Media Matters for America"
| Line 162: | Line 162: | ||
|45. [[Park Foundation]] | |45. [[Park Foundation]] | ||
| $50,000 | | $50,000 | ||
| + | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 15:29, October 26, 2011
Media Matters for America is a liberal smear organization created by the George Soros-funded Center for American Progress, with a goal to highlight what it considers conservative misinformation in mass media organizations. Primarily, they target prominent conservative public officials, public television personalities, Fox News, and conservative talk radio. Some claim they were instrumental in lobbying for the firing of Don Imus,[1] whom they considered a moderate for endorsing John Kerry for president in 2004.[2] Imus was targeted by the liberal left for criticizing Senator Charles Schumer and most notably, the constant rebuke of former First Lady and at the time Senator Hillary Clinton.
Founding
Since 2004, Media Matters has monitored conservative media and attacked high-profile conservatives with provocative language. In addition, it is often accused of using out-of-context quote mining. It is headed by David Brock, a former conservative who claims he made up stories about such people as Anita Hill, who charged Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas with sexual harassment during Thomas’s confirmation hearings. Brock developed a relationship in the 1990s with then-First Lady Hillary Clinton's press aide, Neel Lattimore, and came out of the closet, announcing he was a homosexual and joining the liberal cause. Brock later hired Lattimore at Media Matters as director of "special projects."
Brock is a self-proclaimed fabricator of lies who strong-armed sources that didn’t agree with him.[3] While writing Blinded by the Right,[4] Brock was hospitalized in a mental facility where he spent time in a "quiet room" and "had delusions, he thought people were trying to kill him," according to the Drudge Report.[5]
Brock outlined his lies and conversion to liberalism in his 2002 book, Blinded By The Right. He launched Media Matters in 2004 after conferring with Hillary Clinton.
“David Brock has invented a new form of political organization: a tax-exempt group that is subsidized by taxpayers while Brock gets to spew his hate/smears,” said Anthony “Andy” Martin, a journalist suing Brock & Media Matters for defamation.
Jamison Foser is described on the Media Matters website as having "served as Research Director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for the 2002 cycle" and is one of several staffers with connections to the faction of Democratic Party linked to the Clintons.
Glenn Thrush of Newsday has reported very close ties between Brock and the Hillary Clinton campaign, noting that Hillary "advised Brock" on creating his organization. He added, "For her part, Clinton's extended family of contributors, consultants and friends has played a pivotal role in helping Media Matters grow from a $3.5 million start-up in 2004 to its current $8.5 million budget."[6] While speaking at a Daily Kos event; Hillary Clinton bragged about her role regarding [7]
| “ | institutions that I helped to start and support like Media Matters and Center for American Progress. | ” |
Financial information
For 2009 Media Matters of America showed assets of $2,774,565 and income of $6,711,993.[8]
Since its inception, they've received over $40 million dollars in contributions from several sources, which include liberal billionaire activists such as George Soros[9] and hedge funds[10]. Left-wing foundations have also been a rich source of funding as well, accounting for over $17 million in donations. Below are the list of foundations who've helped to fund Media Matters over the years. The data is culled from publicly available tax filings made by these foundations as of October 25, 2011.
Top Foundations Donating Funds to Media Matters for America Operations (> $50,000):[11]