David Brock, Media Matters "We've come a long way."

Dear Friend,

We've come a long way.

I started Media Matters for America in May 2004, hoping to use my experiences as a former member of the right-wing media to expose and combat the very sort of conservative misinformation that I myself once penned. At the time, there was no organization devoted to monitoring and correcting conservative misinformation and propaganda in the media in real time. Since then, Media Matters has grown in size and stature, and we are now the country's leading voice for media accountability.

Despite our successes, there is clearly plenty of work left to do. Just this past week, we have been exposing and rebutting falsehoods and baseless attacks by Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, and the conservative media echo chamber against Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. They have shamelessly smeared her as a "bigot" and a "racist." Fighting this and other misinformation takes a lot of resources.

We have set a goal of raising $20,000 in the next two weeks. Your donation of $10 can go a long way. With your generosity, we can ensure the next five years are just as successful as the first five- if not more so.

>> Donate $5 for the past five years and $5 for the next five to ensure our continued success.

With your help, our work has resulted in numerous public apologies and substantive corrections of the public record. More importantly, we have debunked countless conservative talking points and smear campaigns. In short, Media Matters has created an environment where the media are finally being held accountable.

Some of our most notable achievements:

• Stopping Swift Boat Attacks: Last year, our work stopped right-wing author Jerome Corsi from successfully replicating his swift-boat attack of John Kerry with a new book attacking then-Senator Barack Obama.
• Fighting Sexism in the Media: We have been at the forefront of pushing back against sexist attacks on progressive leaders like Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, First Lady Michelle Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, famously culminating in Chris Matthews' January 2008 on-air apology for his comment that Clinton only became Senator because "her husband messed around."
• Exposing Incendiary Rhetoric on Right-Wing Radio: From Michael Savage calling autism "a fraud, a racket," to Don Imus' infamous "nappy-headed hos" comment, Media Matters has been at the forefront of documenting the incendiary, outrageous comments from conservative radio hosts throughout the country.
• Documenting the Extent of the Pentagon's Media Military Analyst Program: After the New York Times published their exposé on the clandestine relationship among media military analysts, the Pentagon, and the defense industries, we documented more than 4,500 appearances by these analysts on major TV and radio networks. Our report on these appearances helped lead to language being included in the 2008 Defense Authorization Bill banning such propaganda.

>> Donate $5 for the past five years and $5 for the next five to ensure our continued success.

While we have made great strides towards creating a culture of accountability in the media, there is still plenty of work to be done. This year, we've seen rampant conservative misinformation surrounding the economic recovery package, health care reform, climate change, the Supreme Court nomination, and the torture debate. Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the conservative noise machine have only grown louder, and they show no intention of quieting down any time soon.

Neither do we.

>> Donate $5 for the past five years and $5 for the next five to ensure our continued success.

Thank you for your continued help in our fight to hold the media accountable. Without you, none of these successes would have been possible.

With great appreciation,

David Brock
Founder & CEO
Media Matters for America

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