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Draft:Media and Democracy Project

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The Media and Democracy Project
Formation2020; 5 years ago (2020)
FounderMilo Vassallo, Jonathan Reiss, Brian Hansbury
Type501(c)4 social welfare organization
Location
Area served
United States
MethodAdvocacy
Websitehttps://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, a 501(c)(4) organization based in New York City, was founded in 2020 by Milo Vassallo, Jonathan Reiss, and Brian Hansbury and is backed by former Fox Broadcasting Company executives and ex-FCC officials[1]. MAD describes itself as nonpartisan. The Capital Research Center describes MAD as left-of-center.[2]

advocacy for local journalism

MAD, believing in the importance of independent local journalism, has made available to the public a list of over 2,000 community-focused news outlets across the U.S.[3] According to MAD, the directory celebrates “quality, community-focused journalism” that contributes to "a better informed citizenry, the bedrock of a strong democracy."[4]

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.[5]

MAD recognized Amjambo Africa as a "Local Journalism Bright Spot". Amjambo Africa serves the immigrant community in Maine, publishing in English, French, Kinyarwanda, Portuguese, Swahili, Somali, and Spanish.[4]

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. The petition argued 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 Communications Act of 1934 requires of broadcast licensees.[6][7] The FCC took the unusual step of requesting public comments on the petition, but denied the petition in January, 2025.[8][1]

  1. ^ a b Keys, Matthew (January 16, 2025). "FCC tosses petition that challenged licensed of Fox-owned WTXF". The Desk.
  2. ^ "Media and Democracy Project". Influence Watch.
  3. ^ DemLabs (March 29, 2024). "Media And Democracy Project: Mapping Your Local Journalist SuperHeroes". Medium.
  4. ^ a b "Amjambo wins award". Amjambo Africa. Dec 21, 2023.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Vadala, Nick (July 7, 2023). "Petition seeks to deny renewal of Fox 29′s broadcast license". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  7. ^ Feld, Harold (August 29, 2023). "My Insanely Long Field Guide to the Fox29 Philadelphia (WTFX-TV) License Renewal Challenge". Wetmachine.
  8. ^ the Acting Chief, Media Bureau (January 16, 2025). "MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission.
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