Category: Industry Funding of Opposition

The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) publishes SourceWatch, this 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. We also highlight key public policies they are trying to affect and provide ways to get involved. In addition, SourceWatch contains information about others who help document information about PR spin, such as reporters, academics, and watchdog groups.

The nonpartisan, nonprofit National Institute on Money in State Politics promotes an accountable democracy by compiling comprehensive campaign-donor, lobbyist, and other information from government disclosure agencies nationwide and making it freely available at FollowTheMoney.org.

Letters from House Democrats and Senate Repbublicans Against the FCC — Sponsored by AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Astroturfers?

It’s open season on the FCC’s Broadband plans, from a new proposed bill by Rep. Stearns (FL), or former politicians tied to astroturf groups — Are the phone and cable companies pulling the strings?

To protect the Public Interest, shouldn’t these Senators and Congressmen recuse themselves from voting on issues that directly help their contributors — AT&T, Verizon and Comcast?

Are any of these names familiar to you: TRAC, APT, Issue Dynamics, USIIA, New Millennium Research Council, BellSouth, Verizon, SBC, Pac Bell, United Church of Christ, USTA? – Washington is filled with astroturf groups that keep telling everyone they represent the public interest, but in reality represent the phone companies who pay them well. And Issue Dynamics, run by Sam Simon, has organized multiple groups for the Bell phone companies, all tax exempt, and all in an attempt to make regulators and the press believe that they have your best interests in mind.

Reports by well-known think tanks and individuals funded by telecoms are helping quash competition, increase phone rates and set up a corporate-oriented Internet system. Is there any reason to trust these reports? Or to trust experts who testify before regulators without revealing the sources of their funding?

This is pretty remarkable, but the New Millennium Research Council and Issue Dynamics are defending their paid work on behalf of their incumbent telecom and cable customers directly. No pretense, no hiding. They want their cake and eat it, too.

Post-Election Fallout at ‘Kane County (Ill.) Chronicle’ Over Columnist’s Role In Chicago’s far west suburbs, a prominent newspaper columnist was also doing PR work for Comcast, which was publicly opposing a local ballot measure.