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Bloggergate: Media “Watchdog” Group Implicated in Blogger Payoffs

by Richard Poe
Tuesday, October 10, 2006

6:44 am Eastern Time
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NewsMax Bloggergate Story

NewsMax ran a slightly edited version of my October 11, 2007 Bloggergate story on October 18, 2007. The NewsMax version appeared here.

BLOGGERGATE: A 7-Part Series
Hillary, Soros and the Blog-for-Pay Scandal that Never Made the News

Bloggers Take Democrat Bribes, October 10, 2003

BLOGGERGATE: Unfolding Scandal or False Alarm?, October 12, 2003

BLOGGERGATE: Media Matters Implicated in Blogger Payoffs, October 10, 2006

The Hillary-Soros Axis, October 5, 2007

BLOGGERGATE: Hillary Leads Army of Paid Bloggers, October 11, 2007

Hillary’s Paid Bloggers, October 22, 2007

Hillary Planned Bloggergate in 1995, October 29, 2007



The bloggergate scandal has spewed forth a new culprit — David Brock’s Media Matters for America. Brock’s group, which poses as a non-partisan media watchdog, has been implicated in payoffs to leftwing bloggers.

Many commentators have noted the sharp growth in leftist blogs since 2003 or thereabouts. Few have offered a satisfactory explanation for the phenomenon. Growing evidence suggests that the blogosphere’s leftward turn is driven not so much by a shift in grassroots sentiment, as by payoffs from Democrat donors such as George Soros and his Shadow Party.

Blogger Michael B. Brodkorb of Minnesota Democrats Exposed now offers additional proof that deep-pocketed benefactors have subsidized the rise of left-leaning blogs. He implicates Media Matters for America in an ambitious scheme to promote leftwing blogs through cash grants and free logistical support. (1)

In an October 2 post, Brodkorb notes that all ten contributors to the leftist blog Minnesota Monitor are described as “Fellows with the Center for Independent Media.” From the Center’s fellowship application, Brodkorb learned that CIM offers bloggers a three-month, renewable fellowship which includes such perks as “a stipend of $4500 to be paid over 3 months”, “editorial mentorship from experts in the field of blogging and/or journalism”, access to expensive databases such as Lexis Nexis, as well as free legal advice, training and technical support. (2) (hat tip, Macsmind)

Further investigation revealed that the Center for Independent Media shares office space with Media Matters at 1625 Massachusetts Avenue NW, 3rd Floor, Washington DC. Brodkorb writes:

“I spoke with a representative of the Center for Independent Media and she informed me they are renting space from Media Matters and they do not receive any funding from Media Matters. I asked for information about their funding and she refused to provide me with any information about who is funding the Center for Independent Media.”

Media Matters’ links with the Shadow Party are well-known. (3)

It occurs to me that, by an odd coincidence, I first used the term bloggergate exactly three years ago, to this day, on October 10, 2003, in reference to reports that the Howard Dean campaign had been making payoffs to bloggers. Since then, the evidence has continued to mount that big money — much of it Shadow Party money — funds the proliferation of leftwing blogs which has so altered the blogospheric culture in recent years. (4)

by Richard Poe
October 10, 2006 06:44 AM ET

Cross-posted from ShadowParty.com 10.10.06


NOTES

1. Michael B. Brodkorb, “MDE Exclusive: Minnesota Monitor & Center For Independent Media Exposed“, Minnesota Democrats Exposed, 2 October 2006

2. “New Journalist Fellowship Application“, New Journalist Pilot Program, The Center for Independent Media, application deadline: 30 July 2006

3. Marc Morano, “David Brock Group Backpedals on Soros Funding“, CNSNews.com, 3 March 2005; Richard Poe, “Horowitz Exposes David Brock as Paid Hatchet Man for Soros“, MoonbatCentral.com, 4 March 2005

4. William M. Bulkeley and James Bandler, “Dean Campaign Made Payments To Two Bloggers“, The Wall Street Journal, 14 January 2005; Richard Poe, “Bloggers Take Democrat Bribes“, RichardPoe.com, 10 October 2003; Richard Poe, “Bloggergate: Unfolding Scandal or False Alarm?“, RichardPoe.com, 12 October 2003; Richard Poe, “Bloggergate: Pro-Dean Bloggers Get Cash“, RichardPoe.com, 14 January 2005; Richard Poe, “The Kossacks: Growing Force on the Left“, MoonbatCentral.com, 2 March 2005; Richard Poe, “Red Blogs Rising“, MoonbatCentral.com, 2 March 2005

NewsMax Bloggergate Story

NewsMax ran a slightly edited version of my October 11, 2007 Bloggergate story on October 18, 2007. The NewsMax version appeared here.

BLOGGERGATE: A 7-Part Series
Hillary, Soros and the Blog-for-Pay Scandal that Never Made the News

Bloggers Take Democrat Bribes, October 10, 2003

BLOGGERGATE: Unfolding Scandal or False Alarm?, October 12, 2003

BLOGGERGATE: Media Matters Implicated in Blogger Payoffs, October 10, 2006

The Hillary-Soros Axis, October 5, 2007

BLOGGERGATE: Hillary Leads Army of Paid Bloggers, October 11, 2007

Hillary’s Paid Bloggers, October 22, 2007

Hillary Planned Bloggergate in 1995, October 29, 2007


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  1. […] Much like a yeast colony, in which each bud of yeast sprouts new buds, which in turn sprout buds of their own, Media Matters has begun spawning offshoots. One of these is the Center for Independent Media (CIM). Launched in April 2006, it initially worked from an office owned by Media Matters at 1625 Massachusetts Avenue NW, 3rd Floor, Washington DC. […]



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