According to the New York Times, Media Matters initially received “more than $2 million in donations from wealthy liberals” with ties to the Democratic party (including Peter Lewis, Steve Bing, Marcy Carsey, Susie Tompkins Buell, Leo Hindrey, Gail Furman, and James Hormel).[17][18][19] Byron York said Media Matters received an unspecified amount of funding from MoveOn.org, and the New Democrat Network.[19]
In 2004 Media Matters received the endorsement of the Democracy Alliance. Though the Alliance does not make direct donations to organizations, its endorsement resulted in direct donations to MMfA from Alliance members.[20][21][22]
In October 2010 Alliance founding member George Soros announced his first donation to Media Matters, saying
“Despite repeated assertions to the contrary by various Fox News commentators, I have not to date been a funder of Media Matters.” Soros said concern over “recent evidence suggesting that the incendiary rhetoric of Fox News hosts may incite violence” moved him to donate $1 million to Media Matters, which thanked Soros for announcing his donation “quickly and transparently.”
Politico reported that Media Matters’ policy of not comprehensively listing its donors was unchanged.[23]
Former chief of staff to president Bill Clinton John Podesta provided office space for Media Matters early in its formation at the Center for American Progress, a Democratic think tank that he had created in 2002.[24] Hillary Clinton advised Media Matters in its early stages out of a belief that progressives should follow conservatives in forming think tanks and advocacy groups to support their political goals.[25][26]
Media Matters hired numerous political professionals who had worked for Democratic politicians and for other progressive groups.[27][28] In 2004 article on Media Matters the National Review referred to MMfA staffers who had recently worked on the presidential campaigns of John Edwards and Wesley Clark, for Congressman Barney Frank, and for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.[29]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Matters_for_America
- In October 2010 Alliance founding member George Soros announced his first donation to Media Matters, saying - “Despite repeated assertions to the contrary by various Fox News commentators, I have not to date been a funder of Media Matters.” Soros said concern over “recent evidence suggesting that the incendiary rhetoric of Fox News hosts may incite violence” moved him to donate $1 million to Media Matters, which thanked Soros for announcing his donation “quickly and transparently.” - (he forgot to add that he funds moveon who in turn funds media matters.) This ad happened to come out at approx the same time Soros gave them them the big bucks...coincidental? heh