Posted on 02/13/2012 6:40:45 PM PST by Starman417
Politico is a bit upset about the recent investigative journalist piece done by The Daily Caller on Media Matters.
In that piece they spoke to many former staffers at Media Matters, and what did they find?
Yet those same interviews, as well as a detailed organizational planning memo obtained by The Daily Caller, also suggest that Media Matters has to a great extent achieved its central goal of influencing the national media.Founded by Brock in 2004 as a liberal counterweight to “conservative misinformation” in the press, Media Matters has in less than a decade become a powerful player in Democratic politics. The group operates in regular coordination with the highest levels of the Obama White House, as well as with members of Congress and progressive groups around the country. Brock, who collected over $250,000 in salary from Media Matters in 2010, has himself become a major fundraiser on the left. According to an internal memo obtained by TheDC, Media Matters intends to spend nearly $20 million in 2012 to influence news coverage.
...Media Matters soon became more sophisticated in its campaigns against non-liberal cable news anchors...
...High profile though these victories against conservatives were, Media Matters has perhaps achieved more influence simply by putting its talking points into the willing hands of liberal journalists. “In ‘08 it became pretty apparent MSNBC was going left,” says one source. “They were using our research to write their stories. They were eager to use our stuff.” Media Matters staff had the direct line of MSNBC president Phil Griffin, and used it. Griffin took their calls.
Stories about Fox News were especially well received by MSNBC anchors and executives: “If we published something about Fox in the morning, they’d have it on the air that night verbatim.”
But MSNBC executives weren’t the only ones talking regularly to Media Matters.
“The entire progressive blogosphere picked up our stuff,” says a Media Matters source, “from Daily Kos to Salon. Greg Sargent [of the Washington Post] will write anything you give him. He was the go-to guy to leak stuff.”
“If you can’t get it anywhere else, Greg Sargent’s always game,” agreed another source with firsthand knowledge.
Reached by phone, Sargent declined to comment.
“The HuffPo guys were good, Sam Stein and Nico [Pitney],” remembered one former staffer. “The people at Huffington Post were always eager to cooperate, which is no surprise given David’s long history with Arianna [Huffington].”
“Jim Rainey at the LA Times took a lot of our stuff,” the staffer continued. “So did Joe Garofoli at the San Francisco Chronicle. We’ve pushed stories to Eugene Robinson and E.J. Dionne [at the Washington Post]. Brian Stelter at the New York Times was helpful.”
“Ben Smith [formerly of Politico, now at BuzzFeed.com] will take stories and write what you want him to write,” explained the former employee, whose account was confirmed by other sources. Staffers at Media Matters “knew they could dump stuff to Ben Smith, they knew they could dump it at Plum Line [Greg Sargent’s Washington Post blog], so that’s where they sent it.”
In part two they detailed the target list of Media Matters:
An internal Media Matters For America memo obtained by The Daily Caller reveals that the left-wing media watchdog group employs an “opposition research team” to target its political enemies. Included in the list of targets are right-leaning websites, conservative think tanks, prominent financiers and donors, and more than a dozen specific Fox News Channel and News Corporation employees.“We will conduct extensive public records searches and compile opposition books on individuals,” declares the memo, likely written in late 2009. Investigations, it says, “will focus on the backgrounds, connections, operations and political and financial activities of the individuals.”
What is Politico's beef?
In publishing those quotes without providing evidence, the Daily Caller has put accusations on the public record regardless of whether or not they carry any weight.
Cough
Herman Cain accused by two women of inappropriate behavior
Herman Cain allegation: Sources reveal new details
Herman Cain confronts more harassment allegations
Herman Cain sexual harassment allegations: Damage-control marked by inconsistencies
Herman Cain's misconduct allegations bring out conflicting accounts
"whether or not the sources carry any weight."
Hypocrites.
(Excerpt) Read more at floppingaces.net...
Thanks Starman417. Partisan Media Shills Ping.
Media Matters recalls how many of the propaganda shops inside the KGB worked in the Andropov era.
The KGB’s network of news outlets was far and wide and they even had a plant inside a prominent US publication.
Most of the stories about “atrocities” in Vietnam were invented in Moscow and then circulated to friendly newspapers in Europe and elsewhere.
The notorious smear campaign against MLK — when the KGB was trying to elevate the “recruited” Stokely Carmichael to the top of the US civil rights movement — was launched first in African newspapers that were friendly to the KGB (if not outright operated by them).
And so it went.
Media Matters is yet another post-modern American version of the paleo Left’s most important tactical paternal influence and mentor, the KGB.
Wow....we always suspected it. Now we know.
“The entire progressive blogosphere picked up our stuff,” says a Media Matters source, “from Daily Kos to Salon. Greg Sargent [of the Washington Post] will write anything you give him. He was the go-to guy to leak stuff.” ‘
DUH....
This has been a open secret (wink, wink) FOR YEARS.
I know a former News Director for an NPR/PBS TV station in a MAJOR market that got, and used the MM Daily Talking Points emails on a regular basis for his newscasts.
The alternative being UNEMPLOYMENT, (due to the stopped ‘Donations’ of the station’s ‘progressive’ supporters) if he didn’t play along with whatever the “Current Truth” narrative was.
Going left? Are you kidding me?
The whole damn bunch has ALWAYS been Obama boot licking MARXISTS.
Just another conga line of idiots.
“In ‘08 it became pretty apparent MSNBC was going left,”
What gave it away?
The marching orders from Immelt to his lackeys?
The daily attacks from the majority-gay NBC News Staff?
The professions and pronouncements of godlyness in Obama from the NBC/MSNBC.
Chris Matthews saying Obama was the 2nd Coming of JFK?
NBC Entertainment President Zucker actually WRITING Obama’s speeches for him?
What was it?
Politico did hit piece after hit piece after hit piece... against Palin, using anonymous sources.
Now they are complaining about anonymous sources?
LOL!
Lest anyone think that Media Matters and its mainstream assiciates are a a sick, evil joke......
Obama is now President and the democrats still control the Senate.
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