Guest post by Kristinn Taylor
The Democratic Party front group Media Matters for America has assiduously avoided any comment on the statement by former CBS News reporter Sharyl Attkisson on CNN’s Reliable Sources on Sunday that Media Matters helped produce news reports for her at CBS News before the group turned on her in the wake of her reports critical of the Obama administration.
In statements to the media, reports posted on the Media Matters Web site and in an email to Attkisson by Chairman David Brock all in response to the Attkisson CNN interview no mention is made at all of the group working with Attkisson to produce news reports for CBS News.
Attkisson said to CNN’s Brian Stelter on Sunday:
“Media Matters, as my understanding, is a far left blog group that I think holds itself out to be sort of an independent watchdog group. And yes, they clearly targeted me at some point. They used to work with me on stories and tried to help me produce my stories, and at some point –“
Media Matters has taken issue with Attkisson’s speculation in the CNN interview that Media Matters was paid by donors to single her out for attack. Media Matters denies that it was paid to target Attkisson.
Fair enough, but Media Matters’ reason for being is to protect the Democratic Party from investigative reporting. Attacking reporters and media outlets who investigate Democrats is what it is paid by its donors to do. The question that ought to be asked is whether Media Matters is creating the news with the media it supposedly holds accountable.
So far there is silence on this from Media Matters. Brock’s email to Attkisson was given to his fellow travelers at Talking Points Memo the day after its editor and publisher Josh Marshall published a sexist attack on Attkisson in which he accused her of being ‘gaslight crazy,’ thereby giving Brock’s seal of approval on TPM’s misogynist sliming of Attkisson.
Media Matters other statements and attacks on Attkisson in reaction to her CNN interview that ignore her claim that Media Matters helped produce news reports with her for CBS News can be found here, here, here, and here.
This is an issue that needs explanations from all parties. CBS News, Sharyl Attkisson and Media Matters should reveal which reports were tainted by the concealed involvement of the Democratic Party hit squad. Other media outlets should also come clean as to whether they collaborate with Media Matters on news reports.
