Why Don't We Hear About Soros' Ties to Over 30 Major News Organizations?
By Dan Gainor
Published May 11, 2011 Editor's note: This is the first of a two part series on George Soros and the media.
When liberal investor George Soros gave $1.8 million to National Public Radio , it became part of the firestorm of controversy that jeopardized NPR’s federal funding. But that gift only hints at the widespread influence the controversial billionaire has on the mainstream media. Soros, who spent $27 million trying to defeat President Bush in 2004, has ties to more than 30 mainstream news outlets – including The New York Times, Washington Post, the Associated Press, NBC and ABC.
Prominent journalists like ABC’s Christiane Amanpour and former Washington Post editor and now Vice President Len Downie serve on boards of operations that take Soros cash. This despite the Society of Professional Journalists' ethical code stating: “avoid all conflicts real or perceived.”
This information is part of an upcoming report by the Media Research Centers Business & Media Institute which has been looking into George Soros and his influence on the media.
The investigative reporting start-up ProPublica is a prime example. ProPublica, which recently won its second Pulitzer Prize, initially was given millions of dollars from the Sandler Foundation to “strengthen the progressive infrastructure” – “progressive” being the code word for very liberal. In 2010, it also received a two-year contribution of $125,000 each year from the Open Society Foundations. In case you wonder where that money comes from, the OSF website is http://www.soros.org. It is a network of more than 30 international foundations, mostly funded by Soros, who has contributed more than $8 billion to those efforts.
The ProPublica stories are thoroughly researched by top-notch staffers who used to work at some of the biggest news outlets in the nation. But the topics are almost laughably left-wing. The site’s proud list of “Our Investigations” includes attacks on oil companies, gas companies, the health care industry, for-profit schools and more. More than 100 stories on the latest lefty cause: opposition to drilling for natural gas by hydraulic fracking. Another 100 on the evils of the foreclosure industry.
Throw in a couple investigations making the military look bad and another about prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and you have almost the perfect journalism fantasy – a huge budget, lots of major media partners and a liberal agenda unconstrained by advertising.
One more thing: a 14-person Journalism Advisory Board, stacked with CNN’s David Gergen and representatives from top newspapers, a former publisher of The Wall Street Journal and the editor-in-chief of Simon & Schuster. Several are working journalists, including:
• Jill Abramson, a managing editor of The New York Times;
• Kerry Smith, the senior vice president for editorial quality of ABC News;
• Cynthia A. Tucker, the editor of the editorial page of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
ProPublica is far from the only Soros-funded organization that is stacked with members of the supposedly neutral press.
The Center for Public Integrity is another great example. Its board of directors is filled with working journalists like Amanpour from ABC, right along side blatant liberal media types like Arianna Huffington, of the Huffington Post and now AOL.
An interesting Faux News piece, just a few short notes:
~ The opening paragraph: "When liberal investor George Soros gave $1.8 million to National Public Radio, it became part of the firestorm of controversy that jeopardized NPR’s federal funding. But that gift only hints at the widespread influence the controversial billionaire has on the mainstream media." * [Other "Controversial Billionaires" who regularly donate to Public Broadcasting are the Extremist Right Wing Nut Koch Brothers. Billionaires from both LEFT and RIGHT but your "Faux News" piece only mentions Soros... not the Koch's... Wonder why?] *
~ Also from your post, the first paragraph: "Soros, who spent $27 million trying to defeat President Bush in 2004" * [Soros spent only a measly $27 million... no where near the millions spent by the "Koch Crew" who've spent hundreds of millions influencing elections of Right Wingers. I wonder why that wasn't in the Fixed News article? Hardly 'fair & balanced'] *
~ From the post, third paragraph: "This information is part of an upcoming report by the *Media Research Centers* Business & Media Institute which has been looking into George Soros and his influence on the media." * [Media Research Center??? Where have I heard of this group??? OH YEA! I remember! 'MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER' is funded by, NONE OTHER THAN THE KOCH BROTHERS!!! A hatchet job about "billionaires influencing politics and media" is written by a group funded by 'BILLIONAIRES WHO INFLUENCE POLITICS AND MEDIA] *
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
Maybe it's because it's a story ABOUT Soros, not Koch. Nice copy and paste from the Gloversville forums.
The story is about ONE billionaire, Soros... who's on the left. And not about his counterpart, Right Wing Nuts Koch brothers. Fox paints Soros out to be evil, while the Koch brothers are preforming the same task on the Right. Is political and media influence from the Right any different than political and media influence from the Left? Only on Fox.
(Is it copy & paste when you wrote the original... I think not... I'm responding to the exact same Faux story with the same response.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
MSNBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, NPR, etc. have done nothing but the same, just flipping the coin to make the Republicans/conservatives look bad. But then again, they don't proport to be "fair and balanced". You'll note, this was in the OPINION column - everyone has a right to one, even you.
Your obsession with FoxNews OPINION pieces, and especially GWB are bordering on psychotic. Maybe the VA has a pill for that?
Your obsession with FoxNews OPINION pieces, and especially GWB are bordering on psychotic. Maybe the VA has a pill for that?
MT, you really show your true colors on this board. You wave the flag for your Conservative agenda and GWB, then slam veterans everywhere who fought in our wars, especially GWB's OPTIONAL war in Iraq. If only "a pill" would help them. I've been to the VA to visit vets... some with PTSD. I have friends who suffer from PTSD... I could explain it to you but you're too dumb to comprehend it. You make jokes about it. What a man! What a hero! A wounded US Veteran who was injured in our wars, and to you think it's a joke!
If you think Vets who need a pill is funny, you should go talk with them and see how comical it really is. I bet you'd love it. A real hoot for you, I'm sure.
You're a real patriot MT! You really care about those Veterans who kept you safe, those who bled for their country, those who lost limbs, those Veterans who returned from America's wars with scrambled bodies and scrambled brains... You really care huh? They were wounded both physically and mentally fighting US Wars, some of them 60 years ago, and you make jokes about the VA, PTSD and "needing a pill".
MT, You're a pathetic excuse for a human being.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
Box you're just a regular old spin machine. The point is you discredit everybody else's posts if they come from Fox News, Drudge, or any other conservative source yet the sources you quote ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS and NPR are bought and paid for by one of the biggest liberal progressive people in the world, Soros. How can any media be fair in their distribution of news when they are supported by massive amounts of money from the progressive organizations created by Soros.
How can any media be fair in their distribution of news when they are supported by massive amounts of money from the progressive organizations created by Soros.
You just proved my point... Almost your words: ~ " How can any media be fair in their distribution of news when they are supported by massive amounts of money from the Ultra Conservative organizations created by The Koch's."
Discussing Soros in a vacuum is a joke. Soros on the Left, Kochs on the Right... It's the same problem of Dollars buying Political influence and the media. Fox doesn't broadcast news... it broadcasts the Republican agenda.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
MT, you really show your true colors on this board. You wave the flag for your Conservative agenda and GWB, then slam veterans everywhere who fought in our wars, especially GWB's OPTIONAL war in Iraq. If only "a pill" would help them. I've been to the VA to visit vets... some with PTSD. I have friends who suffer from PTSD... I could explain it to you but you're too dumb to comprehend it. You make jokes about it. What a man! What a hero! A wounded US Veteran who was injured in our wars, and to you think it's a joke!
If you think Vets who need a pill is funny, you should go talk with them and see how comical it really is. I bet you'd love it. A real hoot for you, I'm sure.
You're a real patriot MT! You really care about those Veterans who kept you safe, those who bled for their country, those who lost limbs, those Veterans who returned from America's wars with scrambled bodies and scrambled brains... You really care huh? They were wounded both physically and mentally fighting US Wars, some of them 60 years ago, and you make jokes about the VA, PTSD and "needing a pill".
MT, You're a pathetic excuse for a human being.
I never said someone with PTSD needs "pills" - tho there are many that can help. I said you're borderline psychotic - and that DOES need pills. I never said your psychosis came from the war either - so stop twisting things.
Box, could you show me some proof where the Koch brothers donated millions of dollars to Fox News like Soros did to all the media outlets that you trust in, I must have missed that post.
I never said someone with PTSD needs "pills" - tho there are many that can help. I said you're borderline psychotic - and that DOES need pills. I never said your psychosis came from the war either - so stop twisting things.
Twisting?? These are your words: (U.S. Drone Strike in Yemen ) MT au contraire dear boxie - I was honoring your memorable "service" in Vietnam, and the PTSD that followed.
Honoring my Vietnam service??? Then a PTSD Shot? Just take "a pill"? Your a real hero MT!
Sit behind your nice safe computer and take shots at Veterans who actually care enough about their country to risk everything for it... then an insult about" honoring" my "Memorable service"... a subject you know nothing about. Followed by a cheap shot about "The PTSD that followed??? Really?
Why not a few shots at Veterans who've mistakenly killed civilians... or suicidal Veterans... are you saving those jokes for another time? Why not an insult at Veterans who walk funny because they left most of their legs in a war zone... Funny Huh? You could probably get a few jokes about drug addicted or homeless Veterans too. You'd could "honor their memorable service" too.
Take your comedy routine to the VA and try it out...I bet they'll really appreciate your humor.
MT, you don't have a clue.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
Box, could you show me some proof where the Koch brothers donated millions of dollars to Fox News like Soros did to all the media outlets that you trust in, I must have missed that post.
Shadow, Your post, third paragraph: "This information is part of an upcoming report by the "Media Research Centers" Business & Media Institute which has been looking into George Soros and his influence on the media." Now your fifth paragraph: The ProPublica stories are thoroughly researched by top-notch staffers who used to work at some of the biggest news outlets in the nation. But the topics are almost laughably left-wing.
From The Media Research Center's website, About US: " "The mission of the Media Research Center, "America's Media Watchdog," is to bring balance to the news media.Leaders of America's conservative movement have long believed that within the national news media a strident liberal bias existed that influenced the public's understanding of critical issues. "
Now from the ProPublica website, about us: "ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. Our work focuses exclusively on truly important stories, stories with “moral force.” We do this by producing journalism that shines a light on exploitation of the weak by the strong and on the failures of those with power to vindicate the trust placed in them."
Both ProPublica and Media Research Center do the same thing... one from the Left, funded in part by George Soros... One from the Right, funded in part by The Koch Brothers. Both also fund these and similar groups through their PAC and grant donations, that aren't traceable back to the donors.
A few groups you may have heard of some founded by the Koch Brothers, but all heavily funded by them: Cato Institute—$13,887,640 Citizens for a Sound Economy—$12,356,712 George Mason’s Mercatus Center—$9,674,500 Americans for Prosperity Foundation—$5,610,781 Heritage Foundation—$4,115,571 (If you watch Fox, you've heard of these groups many times)
All conservative political groups that influence media, funnel dollars, and promote the Koch agenda.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
Box, I specifically asked you to produce proof that the Koch brothers gave millions of dollars to Fox News not some conservative groups. Soros gave millions to ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR, and PBS and they are all news stations so I want to see where the Koch brothers have given millions to Fox News, Lets compare apples to apples without all your spin to confuse the issue.
Box, I specifically asked you to produce proof that the Koch brothers gave millions of dollars to Fox News not some conservative groups. Soros gave millions to ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR, and PBS and they are all news stations so I want to see where the Koch brothers have given millions to Fox News, Lets compare apples to apples without all your spin to confuse the issue.
OK apples to apples... Where did you show that Soros "Gave millions of dollars to ABC, NBC, CBS?
Soros did give to NPR. Koch contributed $7 million to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
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