Draft:Media and Democracy Project
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| Formation | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Milo Vassallo, Jonathan Reiss, Brian Hansbury |
| Type | 501(c)4 social welfare organization |
| Location | |
Area served | United States |
| Method | Advocacy |
| Website | https://www.mediaanddemocracyproject.org/ |
The Media and Democracy Project (MAD), a media-focused public interest group, advocates for accurate, unbiased news reporting that serves the public interest and supports democracy. MAD petitioned the FCC to deny the broadcast license renewal application of FOX affiliate WTXF-TV in Philadelphia on the grounds that Fox News violated the public trust through inaccurate reporting of the 2020 Presidential election. MAD, a 501(c)(4) organization founded in 2020 by Milo Vassallo, Jonathan Reiss, and Brian Hansbury, is based in New York City. MAD describes itself as nonpartisan. The Capital Research Center describes MAD as left-of-center.
advocacy for local journalism
MAD, believing in the importance of independent local journalism, has compiled a list of over 2,000 community-focused news outlets across the U.S.[1]
MAD recognized the Marion County Record, based in Marion, KS, as a "Media and Democracy Hero" after Marion police, in apparent violation of the federal Privacy Protection Act, raided the newspaper's office, seizing computers and cell phones.[2]
FCC petition
In July, 2023, MAD petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deny the broadcast license renewal application of FOX affiliate WTXF-TV in Philadelphia. A television licensee is required by law to operate its station in the public interest, and the Communications Act of 1934 allows the FCC to consider the character of the licensee when it decides whether to grant a renewal. The petition argues that the judicial record of the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit against Fox News demonstrates that WTXF aired "knowingly false narratives about the 2020 election," that this intentional misinformation campaign was "so egregious as to shock the conscience," and that the owners of WTXF therefore fail to meet the minimum standards of character that the FCC requires of broadcast licensees.[3]
The FCC took the unusual step of requesting public comments on the license renewal, but experts do not expect the FCC to deny WTXF's application.[4][3]
References
- ^ DemLabs (March 29, 2024). "Media And Democracy Project: Mapping Your Local Journalist SuperHeroes". Medium.
- ^ Snider, Mike (August 14, 2023). "Police conduct 'chilling' raid of Kansas newspaper, publisher's home seizing computers, phones". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 13, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Vadala, Nick (July 7, 2023). "Petition seeks to deny renewal of Fox 29′s broadcast license". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ Feld, Harold (August 29, 2023). "My Insanely Long Field Guide to the Fox29 Philadelphia (WTFX-TV) License Renewal Challenge". Wetmachine.