Organization overview Media Matters for America

1 organization overview

1.1 research
1.2 funding
1.3 personnel
1.4 initiatives

organization overview
research

media matters analyzes american news sources including nbc, abc, cbs, pbs, cnn, msnbc, cnbc, oan, breitbart, , fox news channel. techniques include content analysis, fact checking, monitoring, , comparison of quotes or presentations media figures primary documents such pentagon or government accountability office reports.

beginning in 2006, media matters america has released number of studies contend democrats , progressives outnumbered republicans , conservatives in terms of guest appearances on television news programs.

on september 12, 2007, media matters released study of 1,377 u.s. newspapers , 201 syndicated political columnists papers carry on regular basis. media matters said in paper after paper, state after state, , region after region, conservative syndicated columnists more space progressive counterparts.

john diaz, editorial page editor of san francisco chronicle, said over-factoring conservative columns in smaller newspapers, media matters study had overestimated how many conservative columns appeared in daily newspapers. diaz said media matters had obscured nuanced ideological positions of columnists classified in study conservative.

an annual feature on media matters website title of misinformer of year , given journalist, commentator, or network media matters contends responsible factual errors or claims. recipients of award have included: bill o reilly, chris matthews, abc, sean hannity, glenn beck, sarah palin, rupert murdoch, rush limbaugh, cbs news, george will, center medical progress, fake news ecosystem, , alt-right.

funding

mmfa started of $2 million in donations. according byron york, additional funding came moveon.org , new democrat network.

in 2004, mmfa received endorsement of democracy alliance, partnership of wealthy , politically active progressive donors. alliance not fund endorsees, many wealthy alliance members acted on endorsement , donated directly mmfa.

media matters has policy of not comprehensively listing donors. in 2010, 6 years after democracy alliance endorsed mmfa, financier george soros — founding , continuing member of alliance — announced donating $1 million mmfa. soros said concern on recent evidence suggesting incendiary rhetoric of fox news hosts may incite violence had moved him donate mmfa. during 2014 cnn interview, david brock stated soros contributions less 10 percent of media matters budget. according politico: media matters, has received funding or formed partnerships several groups soros funds or has funded. these include tides foundation, democracy alliance, moveon.org , center american progress.”

personnel

john podesta, former chief of staff president bill clinton, provided office space media matters in formation @ center american progress, democratic think tank podesta established in 2002. hillary clinton advised media matters in stages out of belief progressives should follow conservatives in forming think tanks , advocacy groups support political goals. according new york times, media matters helped lay groundwork hillary clinton s 2016 presidential campaign.

media matters has hired numerous political professionals had worked democratic politicians , other progressive groups. in 2004, national review referred mmfa staffers had worked on presidential campaigns of john edwards , wesley clark, congressman barney frank, , democratic congressional campaign committee.

eric e. burns served mmfa s president until 2011. burns succeeded matt butler, , then, in 2013, bradley beychok. in late 2016, angelo carusone replaced bradley beychok mmfa s president. under carusone, organization s focus has shifted toward focusing on alt-right, conspiracy theories, , fake news.

in 2014, staff of media matters voted join service employees international union (seiu). media matters management had declined recognize union through card check process, instead exercising right force union election.

initiatives

established incubate new generation of liberal pundits , progressive talent initiative trains potential pundits in media skills.

david brock established media matters action network track conservative politicians , organizations. organized 501(c)(4) nonprofit group, media matters action network can lobby , engage in political campaign work. new york times reported set take on expanded role in 2012 elections, including potentially running television ads .

brock established american bridge 21st century super pac associated media matters america. kathleen kennedy townsend, daughter of robert f. kennedy, , former lieutenant governor of maryland, chairs board of directors of american bridge. american bridge focused on opposition research.

in 2009, media matters action network launched conservative transparency website, aimed @ tracking funding of conservative activist organizations. media matters action network established political correction project goal of holding conservative politicians , advocacy groups accountable.

in december 2010, media matters action network started equalitymatters.org, site in support of gay equality . @ launch site incorporated media matters s content on lgbt issues. designed provide talking points liberal activists , politicians, brock set message matters project. media matters runs website dropfox.com , works advertisers boycott fox news. 1 target, orbitz, referred media matters efforts smear campaign , agreed, on june 9, 2011, following three-week campaign prominent lgbt organizations, review policies , process used evaluate advertising placed . in 2015, formal equality matters program deactivated , merged lgbt program within media matters.