Media Matters for America, the organization that has successfully targeted advertisers on billionaire Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, has long been a beneficiary of donations from major institutional liberal donors and organizations connected to the Democratic Party, according to tax documents and grants.
Media Matters released a report on earlier this month alleging that advertisements from major advertisers show up alongside antisemitic content on X, leading several of them to ditch the platform. Media Matters’ methodology has come under question, with X suing the organization for allegedly using manipulative tactics to find the ads that typical X users would be exceedingly unlikely to see.
Though several media outlets have characterized Media Matters as a “watchdog,” the organization has long been heavily tied to major left-wing donors and figures in the Democratic Party.
For instance, Media Matters took donations from organizations managed by Arabella Advisors, a consultancy that supports a dark money network aligned with left-leaning groups and causes. The Arabella-managed fund Hopewell Fund gave $250,000 to Media Matters in 2022 and $150,000 in 2020 while another of its funds, New Venture Fund, has given $150,000 to Media Matters since 2018, according to tax documents.
Moreover, left-wing billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Foundations granted the group $500,000 in 2021, according to its grant database. Soros also contributed $1 million to Media Matters in 2010, according to The New York Times.
Furthermore, a discrete collective of left-wing megadonors including Soros, called Democracy Alliance, steered funding to Media Matters, according to Politico. The group characterizes Media Matters as an example of “core infrastructure and institutions,” according to its website.
The Ford Foundation gave over $4 million to Media Matters between 2010 and 2015, according to its grants database. The foundation is a major donor to left-wing projects.
Apple, IBM, Lionsgate, Paramount Global, Sony and Warner Bros. Discovery have all halted advertising on X since Media Matters released the report, according to the NYT.
Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas also announced a fraud probe into Media Matters on Monday.
Liberal operative David Brock founded Media Matters, and has tight links to both former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton’s friends, donors and aides, according to Politico. Hillary Clinton characterized Media Matters as one of the “institutions that I helped to start and support,” and Brock created a pro-Hillary Clinton organization called Correct The Record to assist her 2016 presidential campaign.
“Musk shouldn’t allow Media Matters to use his platform to organize advertiser boycotts to destroy his company,” Internet Accountability Project Founder and President Mike Davis told the DCNF.
Silicon Valley Community Foundation gave a total of $726,000 to Media Matters in 2020 and 2021, according to tax documents. The California-based foundation also contributed over $5 million to Tides Foundation and the Barack Obama Foundation in 2021.
Arabella, Hopewell, New Venture Fund, Open Society Foundations, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, X and Media Matters did not respond to the DCNFs requests for comment.
Ford Foundation did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
Jason Cohen on November 23, 2023
