'Accuracy In Media' ('AIM') is an
American organization which monitors the
news media in the
United States. Founded in
1969 by
Reed Irvine, at the time an
economist with the
Federal Reserve, 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".
It commonly attacks what it sees as
liberal bias in the media. Despite AIM's claim of political neutrality, some media watchdog groups, including self-described "
progressive group"
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, refer to it as a
conservative organization.
[1]
AIM maintains many ties to conservative groups and is known for criticizing
journalists with accusations of
leftist bias, but rarely (if ever) levels claims of
conservative bias against reporters or news organizations. Its positions on issues would also usually be classified as conservative: AIM editorialized in support of
Nicaraguan
Contra leaders such as
José Francisco Cardenal. It also supported the ''
Committee for a Free Afghanistan'', a US group that backed
Islamic fundamentalist Afghans who fought the Soviet invasion. Also supported are
Augusto Pinochet, who was called a savior of
Chile, and the group often quotes from ''
The Epoch Times'', a group that publishes information on Chinese human rights abuses.
History
In the early days, AIM was run primarily by Irvine and then-executive secretary
Abraham Kalish. Kalish and Irvine would send letters to the editors of many newspapers promoting their organization. If a letter was rejected, AIM would buy space in that paper and print the letter. Beginning in
1975, AIM began purchasing
stock in major media companies, which allowed Irvine to attend their annual meetings and make AIM's views known. He has been described as combative and occasionally rude during those encounters. Irvine now has an annual private meeting with the publisher of ''
The New York Times'', which critics say serves primarily to isolate other shareholders from Irvine's campaigning. ''Times'' vice-chair Sydney Gruson claims "I never find any merit in AIM's allegations."
Reed Irvine died
November 16,
2004.
[2] His son,
Don Irvine, is AIM chairman.
Publications
AIM publishes a twice-monthly newsletter called the ''AIM Report'', originally edited by Reed Irvine. These newsletters often encourage subscribers to write to people or organizations urging them to change their policies. This has become daily over the Internet and through e-mail with current AIM Editor
Cliff Kincaid and AIM executive secretary and media analyst
Roger Aronoff since
2000.
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.
[3]
AIM also famously denounced journalist
Helen Marmor, who in
1983 produced a documentary for
NBC concerning the
Russian Orthodox Church.
[4] 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."
[5] 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."
2 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.
2 "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."
2
AIM has been critical of the
United Nations and its coverage by the media. In February 2005, AIM revealed that United Nations correspondents, including a correspondent for
The Nation named Ian Williams, had accepted money from the UN while covering it for their publications. AIM also revealed that the United Nations Correspondents Association may have violated immigration laws by employing the wife of Williams. Williams and The Nation denied wrongdoing.
[1][2] The charges were also reported by
FrontPage Magazine. The allegations concerning Williams receiving UN cash was picked up by
Brit Hume and the
Fox News Channel.
[3]
In November 2005, AIM columnist Cliff Kincaid criticised Fox News for broadcasting a program "The Heat is On," which endorsed the view that
global warming represents a serious problem (although the program was broadcast with a disclaimer). Kincaid stated that this "scandal" amounted to a "hostile takeover of Fox News"
[4].
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.
[6]
Criticism
Critics say AIM's attacks on the media seem to have little to do with actual misrepresentation or inaccuracies in media accounts. They assert that Irvine and AIM is quick to attack groups that do not fit in the group's ideological niche.
Donald Graham, the publisher of ''
The Washington Post'', alleges that Irvine tends to "throw around accusations about people being
communists."
AIM has also been vigorously defensive of former Senator
Joseph McCarthy, referring to his critics as "liars" and "communists," and defending his legacy, claiming that he never once fingered an innocent person in his accusations during the
red scare he helped to fan.
[5]
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.
[7]
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.
[8]
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
William Clinton was connected to the suicide of
Vincent Foster.
[9] AIM claims that "Foster was murdered",
[10] which is contrary to three independent reports including one by
Kenneth Starr[11]. AIM faults the media for not picking up on the conspiracy.
[12] 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.
[13] Yet, his work has been called a "hoax" and "discredited" by conservatives like
Ann Coulter,
[14] it was also disputed by the ''
American Spectator'', which caused Scaife to ending his funding of the
Arkansas Project with the publisher.
[15] 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."
[16]
AIM speaker Hugh Turley (co author of ''
Failure of the Public Trust'') currently operates a Foster conspiracy website at FBICOVER-UP.com.
[17][18] While Ruddy operates a conservative news website,
NewsMax, that still claims there is a conspiracy and faults the media.
[19]
Fox News
On October 20, 2006, Accuracy in Media released a list of 27 questions to pose at the
Fox News Executive meeting that will be attended by AIM editor Cliff Kincaid.
[20][21]
Of these 27 questions, 8 dwell on
Rupert Murdoch's relationship with the Clintons and how that may have affected Fox News coverage.
20 Moreover, AIMS 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?"
20
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,
[22] pointing out that
News Corporation, the parent company of Fox News, is as a client of presidential candidate
Rudy Giuliani.
[23]
References
1. Steve Rendall. The Fairness Doctrine ''Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting'' January/February 2005
2. Media Watchdog Reed Irvine, 82 ''Washington Post.'' November 18, 2004
3. Accuracy in Media? HAH! Try an unbiased source.
4. Group Watch Profile: Accuracy In Media
5. Raymond Bonner Division ''Accuracy in Media'' July B 1982
6. Cliff Kincaid. Quit Gay Sex Campaign ''Accuracy in Media''December 14, 2005
7. Arkansas Project Led to Turmoil and Rifts ''Washington Post'' May 2, 1999; Page A24
8. Sourcewatch
9. Trudy Lieberman. The Vincent Foster Factory. Columbia Journalism Review, April 1996.
10. AIM Report: Evidence Proving Foster Was Murdered July 1, 2001
11. Full text of the report on the 1993 death of White House counsel Vincent W. Foster, Jr., compiled by Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth Starr. After an exhaustive three-year investigation, Starr reaffirmed that Foster's death was a suicide]
12. Vincent Foster Murder Evidence Accuracy in Media.
13. See: Notes Section for "Chris Ruddy" The Case Against James T. Riady, Accuracy in Media 2001.
14. "Even if Christopher Ruddy's ''The Strange Death of Vincent Foster'' was considered a conservative hoax book, it was also conservatives who discredited it." Chapter Six Endnote 105, pp. 224-225, ''Slander'', Ann Coulter.
15. Anti-Clinton Billionaire Goes Before Grand Jury''Washington Post'', September 29, 1998
16. Report: Starr Rules Out Foul Play In Foster Death CNN Feb. 23, 1997
17. Who We Are: Hugh Turley Accuracy in Media
18. WHOIS Domain check
19. Supreme Court Shields Photos of Vince Foster's Death Scene ''NewsMax'' March 30, 2004
20. Questions for News Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch and Fox News Executives at News Corporation Annual Meeting
21. Watchdog critic frets about Fox's 'leftward' slant
22. http://www.postchronicle.com/commentary/article_21282180.shtml
23. http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007May15/0,4670,GiulianiapossBusinessABRIDGED,00.htm
External links
★
Accuracy in Media Official
★
Accuracy in Media by
SourceWatch
★
Accuracy in Media, Inc. by
Media Transparency
★
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
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