Accuracy in Media

Logo of Accuracy in Media.

Accuracy In Media (AIM) is a non-profit organization and American news media watchdog founded in 1969 by economist Reed Irvine. While external sources consider the organization to be promoting a conservative viewpoint, AIM describes itself as "a non-profit, grassroots citizens watchdog of the news media that critiques botched and bungled news stories and sets the record straight on important issues that have received slanted coverage."^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

History

At its inception, Accuracy In Media was run primarily by Reed Irvine and then-executive secretary Abraham Kalish. The two sent letters to the editors of many newspapers and magazines they identified as skewed, calling out slanted news stories. If the newspaper rejected the letter, AIM bought space and printed the letter in that newspaper. Beginning in 1975, Accuracy In Media began purchasing stock in major media companies, allowing Irvine to attend annual shareholder meetings. He used these opportunities to express AIM's concerns to the various companies' owners. Don Irvine, son of the elder Irvine, currently chairs the organization.^[6]

Publications, growth and expansion

In 1972, Accuracy In Media began publishing the AIM Report, a twice-monthly newsletter originally edited by Reed Irvine. Today, Cliff Kincaid and Roger Aronoff, AIM Senior Editor and AIM Executive Secretary and Media Analyst, respectively, handle the publication, as well as daily online updates. The AIM Report often calls on its subscribers to contact newsmakers, reporters and news corporations to end perceived liberal media bias.

Controversies

At CBS's meetings, Irvine frequently denounced Walter Cronkite as a Soviet dupe. At a 1986 meeting, Irvine requested that Cronkite be removed from the CBS board of directors for allegedly supporting unilateral disarmament.^[7]

AIM also famously denounced journalist Helen Marmor, who in 1983 produced a documentary for NBC concerning the Russian Orthodox Church.^[8] AIM contended that "it ignored the repressive religious policies of the Soviet state."

The group denounced New York Times reporter Raymond Bonner for his reporting in January 1982 of the El Mozote massacre in El Salvador. AIM devoted an entire edition of its AIM Report to Bonner, reporting that "Mr. Bonner had been worth a division to the communists in Central America."^[9] The issue included some insinuations about Bonner's political sympathies, noting that he had once worked for Ralph Nader.

In 1998, at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Reed Irvine claimed there was a conspiracy within the Republican Party to "suppress investigations of Clinton administration scandals."^[6] He noted, "Conspiracy is a word that has been given a very bad connotation -- it's become synonymous with 'kooky,'" he told a Post reporter.^[6] "But really it has a very good connotation." In other words, he elaborated, some conspiracy theories are valid. But not Hillary Clinton's notion of a vast right-wing conspiracy. "She's kooky," he said.^[6]

AIM has been critical of the United Nations and its coverage by the media. In February 2005, AIM alleged that United Nations correspondents, including Ian Williams, a correspondent for The Nation had accepted money from the UN while covering it for their publications. AIM also asserted that the United Nations Correspondents Association may have violated immigration laws by employing the wife of Williams.^[10][11] Williams and The Nation denied wrongdoing.^[12][13] The charges were reiterated by FrontPage Magazine ^[14] and the allegation concerning Williams receiving UN cash was picked up by Brit Hume and the Fox News Channel.^[14] In November 2005, AIM columnist Cliff Kincaid criticised Fox News for broadcasting a program "The Heat is On," which reported that global warming represents a serious problem (the program was broadcast with a disclaimer). Kincaid argued the piece was one-sided and stated that this "scandal" amounted to a "hostile takeover of Fox News" ^[15]

In a December 13, 2005 column, Kincaid called for a "Quit Gay Sex" campaign to rival "Quit Smoking Campaigns" launched by certain media outlets in the United States. He contended that homosexual sex is widespread and homosexual men "simply cannot stop having homosexual sex" and that it was spreading HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.^[16]

Criticism

In 2005 AIM published a "guest column" by the Executive Director of Accuracy in Academia (AIA) discussing a talk about former Senator Joseph McCarthy given by Medford Stanton Evans at an AIM conference. At the conference Evans vigorously defended Senator McCarthy's legacy, claiming that he never once fingered an innocent person.^[17]

The New York Times characterizes AIM as an often effective right-wing advocacy organization, "their criticism of television and the press is often provocative. But it is always tendentious. Accuracy in Media, to judge by its newsletters, finds television to be a hotbed of leftist propaganda.^[18].

As recently as a 17 June 2009 article titled "The Plan For Socialist World Government", AIM equates socialism with communism and Marxism. AIM often makes accusations that high-profile individuals, such as Nancy Pelosi, have connections to the communist party or its spin-offs.^[19]

Funding

Irvine claims that 75 percent of AIM's funding comes from contributors donating US$100 or less. Only three donors of the remainder are given by name: the Allied Educational Foundation, Shelby Cullom Davis, and billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife. Scaife gave $2 million to Accuracy in Media since 1977 -1997.^[20]

Other groups that have supported AIM include Mobil Oil and Union Carbide. In 1985, AIM received a $20,000 grant from the Adolph Coors Foundation, and $7,000 from the Texaco Philanthropic Foundation. In 1986, it received $5,000 from Texaco.^[21]

In December 2004, the American Institute of Philanthropy gave AIM a grade of "C+" for not-for-profit effectiveness. It noted that it would have awarded a grade of "A", but reduced the grade because AIM retains 4.1 years' worth of operating expenses in assets. It feels that AIM is in a poor position to ask donors for more funding when it is already cash-rich.

AIM's work

Vincent Foster conspiracy claims

Accuracy in Media has received a substantial amount of funding from Scaife who paid Christopher W. Ruddy to investigate allegations that President Bill Clinton was connected to the suicide of Vincent Foster.^[22] AIM claims that "Foster was murdered",^[23] which is contrary to three independent reports including one by Kenneth Starr^[24]. AIM faults the media for not picking up on the conspiracy.^[25] The organization has even gone to court for documents and recordings linked to the case.

AIM credits much of its reporting on the Foster case to Ruddy.^[26] Yet, his work has been called a "hoax" and "discredited" by conservatives like Ann Coulter,^[27] it was also disputed by the American Spectator, which caused Scaife to end his funding of the Arkansas Project with the publisher.^[28] As CNN explained on February 28, 1997, "The [Starr] report refutes claims by conservative political organizations that Foster was the victim of a murder plot and coverup," but "despite those findings, right-wing political groups have continued to allege that there was more to the death and that the president and First Lady tried to cover it up."^[29]

Ruddy operates a conservative news website, NewsMax, that still claims there is a conspiracy and faults the media.^[30]

Fox News Channel

On October 20, 2006, Accuracy in Media released a list of 27 questions to pose at the Fox News Executive meeting that was attended by AIM editor Cliff Kincaid.^[31][32]

Of these 27 questions, 8 dwell on Rupert Murdoch's relationship with the Clintons and how that may have affected Fox News coverage.^[31] Moreover, AIM wrote "News Corporation hired the Glover Park Group, a public relations firm run by friends of Bill and Hillary Clinton, to block changes in the TV ratings system," and asks, "Was this part of News Corporation's move to the left?"^[31]

In May 2007, Accuracy in Media raised questions about a conflict of interest in Fox News' co-sponsorship of the May 15 Republican Presidential Candidates debate, pointing out that News Corporation, the parent company of Fox News, is as a client of presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani.^[33]

References

External links

• Official website
• Accuracy in Media by SourceWatch
• Accuracy in Media, Inc. by MediaTransparency
• Profile of Cliff Kincaid by Media Matters for America December 9, 2005
• Meet the Myth-Makers: Right-Wing Media Groups Provide Ammo for "Liberal Media" Claims by Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting