News sites funded by (Conservative) think tanks take root

Source: Associated Press


News sites funded by think tanks take root
AP

By JOHN MILLER, Associated Press Writer John Miller, Associated Press Writer – Tue Apr 13, 5:36 pm ET

BOISE, Idaho – A growing number of conservative groups are bankrolling startup news organizations around the country, aggressively covering government and politics at a time when newspapers are cutting back their statehouse bureaus.

The phenomenon troubles some longtime journalists and media watchdogs, who worry about political biases and hidden agendas.

The news outlets have sprouted in larger numbers in recent months to fill a void created by the downsizing of traditional statehouse coverage and to win over readers, including those from the tea party movement who don't trust the local paper or the TV news.

"Our state Capitol used to be bustling with the media," said Matthew Brouillette, president of the Harrisburg, Pa.-based Commonwealth Foundation, whose news outlet, the Pennsylvania Independent, went live in January. "Now, you can swing a dead cat and not hit anybody in the state Capitol newsroom."

The news outlets usually receive their money from right-leaning, free-market organizations. Idahoreporter.com, for example, is funded by the Idaho Freedom Foundation, a think tank that has barraged local governments with public records requests since last year in an effort to expose waste.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100413/ap_on_re_us/us_think_tank_journalism

country is seeing this last days of freedom...hello corportist...

help keep two trains of thought..how much right wing shit do we have to have shoved at us...

trials and tribulations of the average Middle Class American not to mention the Working Poor.

The only TRUE differences between "Liberal" Rich and the Right Wing Filthy Rich is that they'll deign to talk with us and throw us some advice and "scraps" of their wealth.

Behind closed doors, I'd not be surprised if the "Liberal" Rich resent and dismiss us as UNWASHED MASSES or THE CHATTERING CLASSES.

One time Tweety let the mask slip to label those who organize on the Internet, "The Pajama Hudeen."

Perhaps others have had better experience than myself, however, It goes both ways: "I have little to no respect for the arrogant and spoiled people we know as America's "super rich."

Right wingers don't buy media so that they can do good for the world, they buy media to try to trick poor people (Tea Baggers) into fighting for lower tax rates for rich people. Liberal owned media usually ends up flopping like Air America. Why? Because they are running a business but they aren't trying to make a profit. That's a failure to start with.

but complain how Rethugs took over the MSM and the net too.

Perhaps they believe more in the idsa of unbiased news and have no need for creating filtered sources.

Btw, the real question should be where are the liberal think tanks doing this, since that would be analogous.

With all the extra cash from the supreme court ruling, I hate to think they they are going to do next.

Belated welcome to DU.

And all the rest are the problem.

and if you demur, you must be a Red Mooslime stooge

in Massachusetts, all we have here is right wing radio. I like balance, not this, I'm private and I can warp information any way I choose. Sorry, but that's straight up propaganda...

The media needs regulating because if we don't we will be subjected to nothing but the rich man's perspective. Dangerous for a democracy.