¶ Media Matters for America
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Media Matters for America is an American non-profit media organization based in Washington, D.C.
¶ History
Media Matters was founded in May 2004 by David Brock with help from the Center for American Progress (CAP), which provided office space for the organization.[1][2][3] Brock was formerly a high-profile conservative media commentator "who conducted the first major excavation of President Clinton's personal life." His December 1993 article "triggered the chain reaction that led to the Monica Lewinsky investigation."[4] He then "made a sharp left turn" around 2001.[5]
It received "more than $2 million in donations from wealthy liberals," and partnered with the Tides Foundation in order to benefit from its charitable infrastructure.[6] Brock also formed a sister organization in August 2004 called the Media Matters Action Network,[7][8] "under a section of the tax code that allows some lobbying and campaign work."[9]
Byron York of the National Review described the organization as part of a "constellation of groups" that had "come together on the left in the last year or so, all aimed at electing a Democratic president" in the 2004 presidential election, which also included America Coming Together, the Center for American Progress, MoveOn and others.[6:1]
Hillary Clinton claimed to have "helped start and support" Media Matters and the Center for American Progress.[10] Sidney Blumenthal, former Bill Clinton aide and Clinton Foundation employee, served as a paid consultant for Media Matters.[11]
In November 2010, Brock founded American Bridge 21st Century as a super PAC associated with Media Matters. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the eldest daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, was tapped to Chair the organization.[12]
The Media Matters Action Network cooperated with American Bridge 21st Century to directly engange in the 2012 presidential election, including running television ads.[12:1]
Media Matters was described as having "helped lay the groundwork" for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.[11:1]
¶ COVID-19
Media Matters received between $1 million and $2 million in COVID-19 relief loans through the Paycheck Protection Program.[13]
On August 7, 2023, Media Matters published an article titled "Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s super PAC is paying thousands of dollars to a fringe outlet that posts anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ, and election denial content." The piece, written by Eric Hananoki, criticized Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for being associated with Creative Destruction Media, and American Values 2024 for spending $6,500 in advertising funds with the company.[14]
¶ Organization
Media Matters has been a client of Message Global[15] and Trilogy Interactive.[16]
¶ Personnel
| Name | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eric Hananoki | Senior Investigative Reporter[17] | Midwest Values PAC, The Al Franken Show[18] |
¶ Funding
Media Matters for America does not transparently disclose its donors, but information on some donors has been made available through other forms of lawful disclosure.
A significant amount of its funding comes from members of the Democracy Alliance.[19][20]
Media Matters for America has been funded by:[2:1][21][6:2]
- Bren Simon
- Gail Furman
- George Soros[22]
- James Hormel
- Leo Hindery Jr.
- Marcy Carsey
- Mark Buell
- Mel Simon
- MoveOn
- New Democratic Network
- Peter Lewis
- Steve Bing
- Steven and Michele Kirsch Foundation[23]
- Susie Thompkins Buell
- Tides Foundation
¶ External links
¶ Further reading
- August 11, 2023: "Who’s Behind Media Matters?" by Liam Sturgess, published by The Kennedy Beacon
Hiatt, B. (2019, July 28). The 24/7 Fight Against Fox News. Rolling Stone. http://archive.today/2022.03.02-185701/https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/fox-news-media-matters-watchdog-861914/ ↩︎
Rutenberg, J. (2004, May 3). New Internet Site Turns Critical Eyes and Ears to the Right. New York Times. http://archive.today/2019.05.07-155435/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/03/us/new-internet-site-turns-critical-eyes-and-ears-to-the-right.html ↩︎ ↩︎
Thrush, G. (2006, June 6). Switching allegiances. Newsday. http://archive.today/2017.08.13-094848/http://www.newsday.com/news/switching-allegiances-1.690641 ↩︎
Kurtz, H. (1998, March 10). David Brock: The Genuine Article? Washington Post. http://archive.today/2023.08.09-185431/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/brock031098.htm ↩︎
Horowitz, J. (2011, March 22). Media Matters boot camp readies liberal policy wonks for the camera’s close-up. Washington Post. http://archive.today/2015.05.26-181032/http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/media-matters-boot-camp-readies-liberal-policy-wonks-for-the-cameras-close-up/2011/03/15/AB4TI9EB_story.html ↩︎
York, B. (2004, May 28). David Brock is Buzzing Again. National Review. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042207/http://www.nationalreview.com/article/210853/david-brock-buzzing-again-byron-york ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. (2023, June 8). MEDIA MATTERS ACTION NETWORK. OpenCorporates. http://archive.today/2023.08.09-191050/https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_dc/EXTUID_2680235 ↩︎
Suozzo, A. (2013, May 9). MEDIA MATTERS ACTION NETWORK - Form Form 990-O for period ending Dec 2004. ProPublica. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/770646754/2005_10_EO%2F77-0646754_990O_200412 ↩︎
Clark, C. S. (2010, September 4). Media Matters Stakes Claim As High-Volume Watchdog. National Journal. https://web.archive.org/web/20100906162137/http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/lb_20100904_1223.php ↩︎
Todd, C. (2007, November 15). Calling out Media Matters’ bias. NBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20120804035251/http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2007/11/15/4429164-calling-out-media-matters-bias ↩︎
Confessore, N., & Schmidt, M. S. (2015, May 18). Clinton Friend’s Memos on Libya Draw Scrutiny to Politics and Business. New York Times. https://web.archive.org/web/20150907020840/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/19/us/politics/clinton-friends-libya-role-blurs-lines-of-politics-and-business.html ↩︎ ↩︎
Luo, M. (2010, November 23). Effort for Liberal Balance to G.O.P. Groups Begins. New York Times. https://web.archive.org/web/20110902234957/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/us/politics/23money.html ↩︎ ↩︎
Bikales, J. (2020, July 7). Here are the major media companies that received coronavirus relief loans. The Hill. http://archive.today/2023.08.08-232603/https://thehill.com/homenews/media/506121-here-are-the-major-media-companies-that-received-coronavirus-relief-loans/ ↩︎
Hananoki, E. (2023, August 7). Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s super PAC is paying thousands of dollars to a fringe outlet that posts anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ, and election denial content. Media Matters for America. http://archive.today/2023.08.08-172217/https://www.mediamatters.org/diversity-discrimination/robert-f-kennedy-jrs-super-pac-paying-thousands-dollars-fringe-outlet ↩︎
What. Message Global. Retrieved August 5, 2014, from http://archive.today/2014.08.05-001302/http://www.message-global.com/what ↩︎
Clients. Trilogy Interactive. Retrieved February 19, 2010, from https://web.archive.org/web/20100219072508/http://www.trilogyinteractive.com/work/clients/ ↩︎
Eric Hananoki. Media Matters for America. Retrieved June 25, 2023, from http://archive.today/2023.06.25-032931/https://www.mediamatters.org/author/eric-hananoki ↩︎
Eric Hananoki. LinkedIn. Retrieved August 8, 2023, from http://archive.today/2023.08.08-215525/https://www.linkedin.com/in/erichananoki/ ↩︎
Fuchs, H. (2021, September 23). The most powerful network of Democratic donors has a new president. POLITICO. http://archive.today/2021.09.23-232155/https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/23/democracy-alliance-president-pamela-shifman-513786 ↩︎
Kroll, A. (2013, May 6). Inside the Democracy Alliance, the Liberal Answer to the Koch Donor Network. Mother Jones. https://web.archive.org/web/20230617103229/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/05/democracy-alliance-liberal-donors-koch-brothers/ ↩︎
Steinberg, J. (2008, November 1). An All-Out Attack on “Conservative Misinformation.” New York Times. http://archive.today/2017.08.12-232410/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/01/washington/01media.html ↩︎
Shear, M. D. (2010, October 20). Soros Donates $1 Million to Media Matters. The Caucus. http://archive.today/2023.02.16-155932/https://archive.nytimes.com/thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/soros-donates-1-million-to-media-matters/ ↩︎
Kirsch, S. T., Kirsch, M. van B., & Gwynn, K. 2005-2006 Annual Report. Kirsch Foundation. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://web.archive.org/web/20220419131010/http://www.kirschfoundation.org/who/ar2006/Kirsch_AR06.pdf ↩︎