Tornado Alley (PROG)

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Source Watch is a project of the Center for Media and Democracy


The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) is a self-described "non-partisan progressive watchdog group," focused "on exposing corporate spin and government propaganda."[2][3] CMD publishes PR Watch, SourceWatch, BanksterUSA, and ALECexposed.org.

CMD was founded in 1993 by environmentalist writer and political activist John Stauber in Madison, Wisconsin. Lisa Graves has served as executive director since 2009.[1][4] Graves previously worked for the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Justice Department, and the American Civil Liberties Union

CMD states that it is a "national, independent, non-partisan public interest newsgroup".[5] A May 2012 article in Isthmus referred to CMD as an "activist group". The Isthmus article stated that "For most of its two-decade history, the Center for Media and Democracy was a behind-the-scenes progressive group" that "In the last three years...has emerged as a progressive powerhouse."[1]

The Washington Post described CDC as "a liberal organization that tracks the use of public relations by corporations and politicians. "[6] The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel described CDC as "left-wing" and "liberal."[7]

CMD publishes PR Watch, SourceWatch, and BanksterUSA.org. The SourceWatch website, a wiki, bills itself as a "collaborative, specialized encyclopedia of the people, organizations, and issues shaping the public agenda." SourceWatch "profiles the activities of front groups, PR spinners, industry-friendly experts, industry-funded organizations, and think tanks trying to manipulate public opinion on behalf of corporations or government."[8]

BanksterUSA.org states that it wishes “to be your go-to site for updates on the financial services re-regulation fight in Congress and for progressive net-roots campaigning against the big boys on Wall Street.” BanksterUSA.org has received $200,000 from the Open Society Institute, a foundation founded by investor George Soros.[9]

CMD staff have published 7 books, including Banana Republicans: How the Right Wing Is Turning America Into a One-Party State,[10] Weapons of Mass Deception: Lies, Damned Lies and the Mess in Iraq,[11] and Trust Us, We're Experts. A review in the Village Voice says that the authors of Trust Us, We're Experts, Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber, "come from the far side of liberal. Saying so is not to detract from their exhaustively detailed reportage and calmly convincing tone."[12]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Media_%26_Democracy