From Conservapedia

Media Matters for America is a far-left activist organization with strong ties to Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden founded by David Brock.[1][2] It was created primarily to censor conservative media through blacklisting and intimidation of advertisers[3] and attack the Clinton organization's opponents. Media Matters has the persistent and unenviable task of undoing and explaining away public perceptions generated by the Clintons' words and actions.

Brock also works for American Bridge 21st Century, which he co-founded with Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a former Lt. Governor of Maryland and eldest child of former US Attorney General and US Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Sidney Blumenthal, the original creator of the birther movement narrative aimed at demonizing Barack Hussein Obama on behalf of the Clinton organization, has also been closely associated with Media Matters.[4]

Media Matters claims its goal is to highlight what it considers conservative "misinformation" in mass media organizations. Media Matters operates as a perpetual Clintonesque "war room" by targeting prominent conservative public officials, public television personalities, Fox News, and conservative talk radio.

Within the 90-page three-year strategic plan Media Matters distributed to its donor base and potential contributors, the document reveals that the non-profit entity has an "enemies list" which includes organizations like Fox News, Cato Institute, and Heritage Foundation. The list also targets numerous individuals and executives such as Rupert Murdoch, Roger Ailes, Peter Theil, and Richard Mellon Scaife.[5]

Further deviating from its tax-exempt status, a recently discovered internal strategy memo from Media Matters Senior Fellow Karl Frisch to David Brock and Eric Burns, suggests that Media Matters "hire private investigators to look into the personal lives of Fox News anchors, hosts, reporters, prominent contributors, senior network and corporate staff," as well as "look into contracting with a major law firm to study any available legal actions that can be taken against Fox News, from a class action lawsuit to defamation claims for those wronged by the network. I imagine this would be difficult but the right law firm is bound to find some legal ground for us to take action against the network."[6]

Some claim Media Matters was instrumental in lobbying for the firing of Don Imus,[7] whom they considered a moderate for endorsing John Kerry for president in 2004.[8] 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.

Fox News host Bill O'Reilly took aim at Media Matters in March 2012 for their attack on Rush Limbaugh, calling their work "very fascist".[9]

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.[10] While writing Blinded by the Right,[11] 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.[12]

In February 2012, the Daily Caller ran a story outlining Brock's "erratic behavior" based on sources within his organization and Media Matters' close coordination with the Barack Obama White House and liberal news organizations.[13][14]

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 Democrat 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."[15] While speaking at a Daily Kos event; Hillary Clinton bragged about her role regarding[16] "institutions that I helped to start and support like Media Matters and Center for American Progress."

Media Matters and Israel

Media Matters has come under attack by the influential Simon Wiesenthal Center for supporting bloggers who promote "dangerous political libels" and "toxic anti-Jewish prejudices". According to the Center, Media Matters Senior Foreign Policy Fellow MJ Rosenberg "has repeatedly smeared Jewish groups such the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee as 'Israel Firsters.'"[17][18]

In a Twitter post by MJ Rosenberg, he called Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "terrorist".[19]

At a gathering of pro-Israel supporters held at the University of Pennsylvania in early February 2012, noted liberal Democrat and high-profile lawyer Alan Dershowitz was quoted as saying that Media Matters could cost Barack Obama the 2012 presidential election.[20][21]

Media Matters and Gun Control

Media Matters is a staunch supporter of anti-gun legislation over the years and writes frequently on the subject on its website.[22] In fact, Media Matters has taken $400,000 in donations from The Joyce Foundation specifically for the purpose "to support a gun and public safety issue initiative"[23] Over the years The Joyce Foundation has actively supported gun control programs and has donated tens of millions of dollars to numerous anti-gun initiatives.[24] Barack Obama served on the board of Joyce Foundation from 1994 to 2002.[25]

Ironically, recent reports have revealed that the personal assistant to Media Matters founder and Chairman David Brock hypocritically carries a concealed Glock handgun when he goes out in public, for his protection.[26][27] Washington, DC is known as having some of the strictest gun carrying laws in the United States, so carrying a legally concealed weapon within that city would be extremely rare for a private citizen.

Boycotts

Media Matters has led numerous harassment campaigns targeting companies and organizations that advertise on conservative commentators' television and radio shows, in an attempt to remove the commentators from the airwaves. While some of these attacks, including an attack against Glenn Beck when he was a Fox News anchor, have been quite successful, others, like their attacks on Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, have been largely unsuccessful.

Influence

Media Matters is very influential within the media and left-wing political figures.[28]

The MSNBC–Media Matters Connection

Media Matters for America is a very popular source of information within MSNBC’s prime time lineup. Some might argue MSNBC is a de facto mouthpiece for the organization.[29][30]

In prime time alone, since 2005 Media Matters has either been booked as a guest and/or mentioned on the network nearly 200 times. Media Matters has been particularly popular with MSNBC's producers during the last 2 years. Below are some interesting tidbits about Media Matters and its growing relationship with MSNBC's prime time programming:

197 guest appearances and/or on-air mentions on MSNBC's prime time since January 2005.

Of the roughly 390 broadcast evenings on MSNBC since July 2010, Media Matters has either been booked as a guest and/or mentioned on air 26% of the possible broadcast evenings (1 out of every 4 days).

In 2011, on average, a Media Matters representative appeared on MSNBC at least once per week.

Eric Boehlert has been the most popular Media Matters representative on MSNBC, accounting for 43% of all Media Matters appearances on the cable network.

The Ed Show is the most popular show for Media Matters representatives, accounting for 72 Media Matters guest appearances since 2009[31]

In another connection, MSNBC and NBC News Presidential Historian Michael Beschloss is married to Afsaneh M. Beschloss, a Ford Foundation Trustee and Media Matters supporter.[32]

Double standards

Despite trying to destroy the lives of conservatives for making controversial or vulgar comments, even if those comments were made many years prior, Media Matters has not made similar efforts against leftists who made extremely vulgar and bigoted comments.[33][34][35] Even the president of Media Matters made vulgar and bigoted comments as bad, if not worse, than the comments of those whose lives he had tried to destroy.[36]

Financial information

In 2010, Media Matters for America raised $10,682,649 in contribution through its fundraising consultant Bonner Group, who also raises money for several George Soros-backed organizations such as The Center for American Progress, Center for Responsibility and Ethics, People for the American Way, and American Foundation for Equal Rights. Media Matters total revenues for 2010 were $13,237,875.[37][38] For 2009, Media Matters of America showed assets of $2,774,565 and income of $6,711,993.[39]

Since its inception, they've received over $50 million in contributions from several sources including wealthy liberal activists such as George Soros[40] and hedge funds.[41] 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):[42]

Foundation Amount Donated to Media Matters 1. Bohemian Foundation $2,325,000 2. Ford Foundation $1,945,000 3. Dyson Foundation $1,450,000 4. Gill Foundation $1,150,000 5. Stephen M. Silberstein Foundation $1,125,000 6. Tides Foundation $946,276 7. Bauman Family Foundation $600,000 8. Schumann Center for Media and Democracy $600,000 9. Leland Fikes Foundation $500,000 10. Silicon Valley Community Foundation $428,000 11. Gruber Family Foundation $400,000 12. Joyce Foundation $400,000 13. Marisla Foundation $370,000 14. Boston Foundation (aka TBF) $305,000 15. Lewis B. & Dorothy Cullman Foundation $300,000 16. Glaser Progress Foundation $300,000 17. Marin Community Foundation $300,000 18. Lotus Foundation $280,000 19. Dallas Foundation $250,000 20. Schooner Foundation $234,717 21. Mai Family Foundation $225,000 22. McKay Foundation $225,000 23. Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation $175,000 24. Johnson Family Foundation $155,000 25. Goatie Foundation $150,000 26. Pritzker Family Foundation $150,000 27. Wasserman Foundation $150,000 28. BayTree Fund $110,000 29 Kanter Family Foundation $108,000 30. Proteus Fund $95,000 31. Dwoskin Family Foundation $87,500 32. Barbara Lee Family Foundation $80,000 33. J.M. Kaplan Fund $77,500 34. Furman Foundation $75,000 35. Murphy Family Foundation $75,000 36. Sagner Family Foundation $65,000 37. Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (aka RPA) $60,000 38. Wallace Global Fund $60,000 39. AG Foundation (aka Agnes Gund Foundation) $55,000 40. Lear Family Foundation $55,000 41. Barbra Streisand Foundation $55,000 42. Greater Kansas City Community Foundation (aka GKCCF) $51,000 43. Carnegie Corporation $50,000 44. Daniel Neidich & Brooke Gerber Foundation $50,000 45. Park Foundation $50,000