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Draft:Media and Democracy Project

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The Media and Democracy Project
Formation2020; 5 years ago (2020)
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. MAD describes itself as nonpartisan. The Capital Research Center describes MAD as left-of-center.[1]

advocacy for local journalism

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

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.[3]

In January, 2025, MAD named editorial cartoonist Ann Telnaes "Hero of the Month." She had resigned from the Washington Post after the newspaper rejected her cartoon showing Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos and other billionaires kneeling before President Trump.[4][5]

MAD is a member of the Rebuild Local News coalition[6] and is a founding member of the Prison Journalism Project.[7]

Advice to journalists

MAD urges journalists to more aggressively cover threats to democracy. MAD claims that U.S. democracy was weakend by attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, culminating in the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, and that "anti-democracy Republicans" continue to threaten democracy.[8][9]

In the summer of 2024, in an open letter to the news media signed by almost 4,000 individuals, MAD recommended principles for pro-democracy election coverage guidelines, including:

  • prioritizing coverage of the issues above reporting of poll results;
  • writing accurate, informative headlines;
  • celebrating poll workers, voters, and the election process;
  • holding politicians to account for their positions and behavior;
  • not setting aside moral judgments when covering obvious lies and bigotry:
  • exposing candidates who foment violence.[10]

Freedom of the press

MAD advocates for the PRESS Act, proposed federal legislation with bipartisan support that would make it illegal for the government to force journalists to disclose their sources or to seize journalists' materials that identify their sources. If this legislation were enacted, people who require anonymity could safely talk to journalists. Currently, journalists are occasionally fined or jailed for refusing to disclose their sources, even though laws in almost all states protect the confidentiality of journalists' sources to some extent.[11][12]

In August, 2023, police in Marion, Kansas raided the office of the Marion County Record, seizing computers and cell phones. MAD cites this incident as evidence that stronger federal protection of journalists' confidential sources is necessary.[13]

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 owners of WTXF failed to meet the minimum standards of character and the obligation to operate in the public interest required by the Communications Act of 1934, to an extent "so egregious as to shock the conscience." The petition cited as evidence the judicial record of the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit against Fox News, which found that WTXF knowingly and repeatedly aired false narratives about the 2020 presidential election.[14][15] Comments supporting the petition were filed by founding president of Fox Broadcasting Jamie Kellner;[16] former Fox commentator Bill Kristol; former FCC chair Alfred Sikes, a Republican; and former FCC commissioner Ervin Duggan, a Democrat.[17][18] Fox characterized the petition as a frivolous assault on its First Amendment rights.[19] The FCC denied the petition in January, 2025.[20][21] MAD has appealed the denial.[22]

References

  1. ^ "Media and Democracy Project". Influence Watch.
  2. ^ DemLabs (March 29, 2024). "Media And Democracy Project: Mapping Your Local Journalist SuperHeroes". Medium.
  3. ^ a b "Amjambo wins award". Amjambo Africa. Dec 21, 2023.
  4. ^ Mullin, Benjamin (January 3, 2025). "Washington Post Cartoonist Quits After Jeff Bezos Cartoon Is Killed". New York Times.
  5. ^ The Media and Democracy Project (2025-01-27). "The Media and Democracy Project "Hero of the Month": Ann Telnaes".
  6. ^ "COALITION: WHO WE REPRESENT". Rebuild Local News.
  7. ^ "Our Supporters". Prison Journalism Project.
  8. ^ Hansbury, Brian (October 23, 2022). "Media isn't doing nearly enough to defend democracy — but it's not too late to change". salon.
  9. ^ "Why We Urgently Need Pro-Democracy Election Coverage in 2022". Media and Democracy Project.
  10. ^ Sullivan, Margaret (August 14, 2024). "Here's an urgently needed, pre-election reform plan for the media".
  11. ^ Nakhnikian, Elise. "U.S. Senate can protect our democracy by passing the PRESS Act". Tucson Sentinel.
  12. ^ "RE: PRESS Act Markup (S.2074)" (PDF). Freedom of the Press Foundation. June 4, 2024.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ Vadala, Nick (July 7, 2023). "Petition seeks to deny renewal of Fox 29′s broadcast license". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  15. ^ Feld, Harold (August 29, 2023). "My Insanely Long Field Guide to the Fox29 Philadelphia (WTFX-TV) License Renewal Challenge". Wetmachine.
  16. ^ Keys, Matthew (August 22, 2023). "First Fox president joins fight against local station's license renewal". TheDesk.
  17. ^ Keys, Matthew (July 31, 2023). "Former FCC official joins fight against WTXF license renewal". TheDesk.
  18. ^ Raynor Ave. (August 21, 2023). "License Renewal Application for Fox Philadelphia". NewsDirect.
  19. ^ Brodkin, Jon (August 24, 2023). "Fox TV license renewal may be in jeopardy as FCC invites public response". ars technica.
  20. ^ the Acting Chief, Media Bureau (January 16, 2025). "MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission.
  21. ^ Keys, Matthew (January 16, 2025). "FCC tosses petition that challenged licensed of Fox-owned WTXF". The Desk.
  22. ^ Daigon, Glenn (February 24, 2025). "Standing Up to Fox News". The Progressive Magazine.
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