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[[image:CMDlogo.png|thumb|400px||Center for Media and Democracy]]'''The Center for Media and Democracy''' (CMD), is a nationally recognized watchdog founded in 1993, is a [[progressive]] organization founded and administrated by [[John Stauber]] that leads in-depth investigations into the corruption that undermines our democracy, environment, and economic prosperity.<ref>Center for Media and [[Sheldon Rampton]] (amongst othersDemocracy, see "People" below). According to its [httphttps://www.prwatchexposedbycmd.org/about-cmd/indexAbout], ''CMD'', 2022.html </ref> CMD manages this website], CMD "strengthens participatory democracy by investigating and exposing [[public relations]] [[spin]] and [[propaganda]]SourceWatch.org, and by promoting [[media]] literacy ALECExposed.org. CMD publishes original research and featured documents it obtains on its blog [[citizen journalism]https://www.exposedbycmd.org ExposedbyCMD.org]."

== Other organizations with similar names ==CMD was founded in 1993. Since then a number of other '''unaffiliated''' organizations with similar names have arisen. They also are namedIn March 2018, Arn Pearson became CMD’s Executive Director, or have in their namesucceeding Lisa Graves, "Center for Media who served as executive director from 2009-2018 and Democracycurrently serves as board President." These different groups include:*[[CMD Pakistan]] - a civil society group in PakistanCMD’s team includes researchers, which says its goal is "to ensure freedata experts, fair and transparent holding of upcoming general elections" (in February 2008) [http://www.cmdpakistan.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=51]*[[Schumann Center for Media and Democracy]] - a foundation based in New JerseyFOIA experts, which focuses on the environmentlawyers, good governance and media issues*[[DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy]] - a research center at Duke University that supports "democratic free media in the United States and around the globe" [http://www.pubpol.duke.edu/centers/dewitt/about.html]*[[CCTV Center for Media and Democracy]] fact- a Burlington, Vermont community media center (CCTV stands for Chittenden Community Television) with a mission of ensuring "free speech and opportunity in the increasingly centralized and commercialized world of electronic media" [http://www.cctv.org/indexcheckers.php?SiteAlias=cctv&PageAlias=CCTV_About]

The rest of this SourceWatch article deals solely with the Madison, Wisconsin based media watchdog group Center for Media and DemocracyCMD is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit.

CMD has been criticized ==News==The latest news from the Center for having an anti-corporate viewpoint by [[industry]] [[lobbyist]]s like [[Berman & Co.]], a public affairs firm owned by [[Rick Berman]]. [[ActivistCash.com]], an [[industry-funded organizations|industry-funded]] website run by Berman & Co. Media and associated with Berman's [[Center for Consumer Freedom]], has run such critiques. ActivistCash.com accuses CMD of operating "as do most self-anointed progressive watchdogs, from the presumption that any communication issued from a corporate headquarters must Democracy can be viewed with a jaundiced eye." This website also opines, "If someone in a shirt and tie dares make a profit (especially if food or chemicals are involved), Rampton and Stauber are bound to have a problem with it. Unless, of course, that food is vegetarian, organic, certified fair-trade, shade-grown, biodynamic, or biotech-free â?? in which case, the skyâ??s the limit!" See the found on its blog [httphttps://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/12 article on CMD on ActivistCash.com], and the criticisms section of the [http://en.wikipediaexposedbycmd.org/wiki/SourceWatch Wikipedia article on SourceWatchhere].

== Politics Non-Partisan Advocacy==

The group presents itself as a nonpartisan media research organization. Some dispute the characterization, citing the writings and its principals have criticized people and policies in both of its founder, the writer, major political activist, and environmentalist John Stauber who describes himself as "a democracy activist parties in leadership roles since highschool around controversial issues of war, peace, public affairs, environmental health the U.S. and social justiceinterest groups across the political spectrum."

In their 2004 book, ''[[Banana Republicans]]'', === Example of CMD staff members Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber document that the right wing in the United States regards politics as a form of "war by other means" and that this philosophy, combined with [[Republican Party|Republican]] control of every branch of the U.S. federal government, has moved the United States in the direction of becoming a [[The one-party state|one-party state]]. They write that notwithstanding conservatives "stated aversion to 'big government,' now that they have ''become'' the government they have not hesitated to expand its powers in precisely those areas that are most threatening to individual freedoms, through the [[Patriot Act I|USA Patriot Act]] and other measures that authorize spying on citizens and detentions without trial. The likelihood that those powers will be abused has increased, moreover, as the [[conservative]] movement accuses its ideological adversaries of 'treason,' '[[terrorism]]' and 'un-Americanism,' threatening long-standing traditions of tolerance and diversity. ... In sum, the direction in which forces in the [[GOP]] are moving looks - at times absurdly, at times ominously - similar to the 'banana republics' of Latin America: nations dominated by narrow corporate elites, which use the pretext of national security to violate the rights of their citizens."s Critiques ===

Rampton and Stauber warn The CMD book ''[[Banana Republicans]]'' documents that one-party domination of the right wing in the United States regards politics carries the danger as a form of "incestuous amplification,war by other means." The book notes that notwithstanding self-named "conservatives" have a tendency for policymakers "stated aversion to "only listens 'big government,' when in control of the federal government they did not hesitate to expand its powers in precisely those who areas that are already in lock-step agreementmost threatening to individual freedoms, reinforcing set beliefs through the [[Patriot Act I|USA Patriot Act]] and other measures that authorize spying on citizens and creating a situation ripe for miscalculationdetentions without trial." They note The likelihood that in onesuch inherently abusive powers will be misused has increased, moreover, as the [[conservative]] movement accuses its ideological adversaries of 'treason,' '[[terrorism]]' and 'un-party dictatorships like HitlerAmericanism,'s Germany or Stalin's Soviet Unionthreatening long-standing traditions of tolerance and diversity. ... In sum, "hierarchicalthe direction in which forces in the [[GOP]] are moving looks - at times absurdly, commandat times ominously -driven social systems" were "notorious for their tendency similar to make disastrous decisionsthe 'banana republics' of Latin America: nations dominated by narrow corporate elites, in which use the pretext of national security to violate the areas rights of both domestic and foreign policytheir citizens."

The book warns that one-party domination of politics carries the danger of "incestuous amplification," a tendency for policymakers to "only listens to those who are already in lock-step agreement, reinforcing set beliefs and creating a situation ripe for miscalculation." It notes that in one-party dictatorships like Hitler's Germany or Stalin's Soviet Union, "hierarchical, command-driven social systems" were "notorious for their tendency to make disastrous decisions, in the areas of both domestic and foreign policy." With regard to the United States, Rampton and Stauber argue the book argues that "incestuous amplification" helps explain "how the [[Bush administration]] managed to convince itself that [[Iraq]] truly did possess awesome [[weapons of mass destruction]], that it was closely tied to [[Al al Qaeda]], and that the people of Iraq would greet a U.S. [[invasion of Iraq|invasion]] of their country as liberation. Much of the administration's intelligence information about Iraq actually came from the [[Iraqi National Congress]] (INC), an organization created and funded by the U.S. government at the behest of the [[George H.W. Bush administration|first Bush administration]] for the purpose of creating conditions for [[Saddam Hussein]]'s overthrow. Not surprisingly, the information from the INC and its head, [[Ahmed Chalabi]], tended to reinforce the already-existing assumptions of policymakers in the second Bush administration, even when that information contradicted other reports coming from the [[Central Intelligence Agency|U.S. Central Intelligence Agency]]."

Rampton and Stauber argue The book argues that incestuous amplification can also distort other areas of knowledge and policy, such as science. In the Soviet Union, for example, agricultural development was seriously undermined when biologists were charged with sabotage, [[terrorism]] and Trotskyism, fired from their jobs and even killed for perceived deviations from the government's official party line. "Under Republican rule, of course, scientists are not being arrested or shot," they write, "but the It notes that Bush administration has begun a disturbing process of subordinating routinely subordinated science to politics, with potentially dangerous consequences. "To inform its decisions on issues including sex education, environmental health, [[global warming]], workplace safety and [[HIV/AIDS|AIDS]], the Bush administration has used a variety of political litmus tests to create scientific panels stacked heavily with members who have scant scientific credentials but strong industry ties and right-wing agendas. It has had [[web scrubbing|altered]] official government websites, removing scientific information that contradicts the political views of industry groups and the conservative movement. In some cases, scientists have been ordered to remain silent by their politically appointed higher-ups."==Criticism==Some contend that CMD is not neutral. CMD has been criticized for having an anti-corporate viewpoint by [[lobbyist]]s such as [[Berman & Co.]], a public affairs firm owned by [[Rick Berman]] specializing in creating [[front groups]] for industry clients in the tobacco, food, biotechnology and other sectors. [[ActivistCash.com]], an [[industry-funded organizations|industry-funded]] website run by Berman & Co. and associated with Berman's [[Center for Consumer Freedom]], has run such critiques.

== Projects Funding==CMD voluntarily discloses its major funders on its website. The following foundations and generous individuals have donated $5,000 or more to support the work of CMD since January 1, 2020:<ref name="about"/>

* ''[http://wwwAmerican Federation of Teachers*Cloud Mountain Foundation*Common Counsel Foundation*Community Shares of Wisconsin*Craigslist Charitable Fund*CREDOMobile*East Bay Community Foundation*Wendy A. Fearnside*Andrew J. Goodman*Hopewell Fund*Christina Jonsson Charity*Gordon Lafer*Mindy Loiselle & Lanny Levenson Gift Fund*Madison Community Foundation*Marisla Foundation*Mazess Fund*Stewart R.prwatchMott Foundation*Craig Newmark Philanthropic Fund*Park Foundation*Nancy D.org/cmd/prwatchPeterson*Piper Fund*Michael L.html PR Watch]'', publishersSchler*Sustainability Group*Sustainable Grantmaking Partners Fund*Tides Foundation*Trehan Foundation*Wallace Global Fund* [[SourceWatch]], hostsWildbasil Fund

==Personnel= Books ====Staff===As of February 2022:<ref>Center for Media and Democracy, [https://www.exposedbycmd.org/our-team/ Our Team], ''CMD'', accessed February 2022.</ref>*Arn Pearson, Executive Director*Eric Wittstein, Director of Operations and Development*David Armiak, Research Director*Alex Kotch, Investigative Reporter*Don Wiener, Contributor

* ''[http://www.prwatch.org/books/tsigfy.html Toxic Sludge is Good For You!]'Former Staff'''* ''[http://www.prwatch.org/books/madcow.html Mad Cow U.S.A.]''Lisa Graves, Executive Director*Mary Bottari, Deputy Director*Patricia Barden, IT Director*Jordan Barden, Webmaster* ''[[Trust UsEvan Vorpahl, We're Experts!]]''Researcher* ''[[Weapons Nick Surgey, Director of Mass Deception]]''Research*Jamie Corey, Researcher*Brendan Fischer, General Counsel*Jessica Mason, Researcher*Sari Williams, Office and Outreach Manager*Nikolina Lazic, Executive Assistant*Calvin Sloan, Researcher and Multimedia Specialist*Friday Thorn, Digital Editor*Jonas Persson, Writer*Rebekah Wilce, Reporter and Researcher*Harriet Rowan, Reporter*Wendell Potter, Honorary Senior Fellow*Abdul Raziq, Writer*Emily Osborne, Reporter*Sara Jerving, Reporter*Jonathan Rosenblum, Contributor*Beau Hodai, Contributor*Will Dooling, Researcher*Anne Landman, Managing Editor*Ben Tobias, Researcher*Steve Horn, Contributor*Dave Johnson, Contributor*Eric Carlson, Researcher*Jennifer Page, Researcher and Writer*Kate Rhudy, Policy Counsel* ''[[Banana RepublicansJohn Stauber]]'', Founder in 1993, former Executive Director, retired July 2009

== People =Board of Directors===As of February 2022:<ref name=Staff===* "about">CMD, [httphttps://www.prwatchexposedbycmd.org/about-cmd/bios.php/John_Stauber John StauberAbout CMD], Executive Director* [http://www''CMD'', accessed February 2022.prwatch.org</cmd/bios.php/Judith_Siers_Poisson Judith Siers-Poisson], Associate Directorref>* [http://www.prwatch.org/cmd/bios.php/Sheldon_Rampton Sheldon Rampton[Lisa Graves]], Research DirectorPresident* [http://www.prwatch.org/cmd/bios.php/Diane_Farsetta Diane Farsetta], Senior ResearcherDeborah Bey* [http://www.prwatch.org/cmd/bios.php/Patricia_Barden Patricia Barden], WebmasterEllen Braune* [http://www.prwatch.org/cmd/bios/Blake_Hall Blake Hall], Senior Web DeveloperCosmo Harrigan* [http://www.prwatch.org/cmd/bios.php/Bob_Burton Bob Burton], SourceWatch EditorGordon Lafer* [http://www.prwatch.org/cmd/bios/Conor_Kenny Conor Kenny], Congresspedia EditorNancy MacLean* [http://www.prwatch.org/cmd/bios/Anne_Landman Anne Landman], TobaccoWiki EditorJan Miyasaki* [http://www.prwatch.org/cmd/bios/Sari_Williams Sari Williams], Office and Outreach ManagerBo Yerxa

===Volunteer Board of '''Former Directors==='''* David Merritt* Joe Mendelson* Inger Stole* Ellen Braune* Jan Miyasaki* John Stauber (nonvoting)* Anna Lappé[[Ted Nace]]

== Funding Contact Information==Center for Media and Democracy<br>520 University Ave<br>Ste 305<br>Madison, WI 53703<br>

Over its history, CMD has received over $500 from the following foundationsWebsite: [httphttps://www.exposedbycmd.org<br>Email: editor@prwatch.org<br>Twitter: https://twitter.com/exposedbycmd<br>Facebook: https://financeswww.facebook.html]com/CenterforMediaandDemocracy/<br>

* [[Bydale Foundation]]* [[Careth Foundation]]* [[Carolyn Foundation]]* [[Changing Horizons Charitable Trust]]* [[CS Fund]]* [[Deer Creek Foundation]]==Articles and Resources==* [[DJB Foundation]]===IRS Form 990 Filings===* [[Educational Foundation of America]]<div class="docframe">* [[Florence and John Schumann Foundation]]<p>2020</p>* [[Foundation <p>{{#widget:Iframe|url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20971359-center-for Deep Ecology]]* [[Richard & Rhoda Goldman Fund]]* [[Grodzins Fund]]* [[HKH Foundation]]* [[Homeland Foundation]]* [[Jenifer Altman Foundation]]* [[Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation]]* [[Litowitz Foundation]]* [[Ottinger Foundation]]* [[Rockwood Fund]]* [[Roy -media-and Niuta Titus Foundation]]* [[Sperling Foundation]]* [[Stern Family Fund]]* [[Town Creek Foundation]]-democracy-2020-990|width=350|height=250}}</p>* [[Turner Foundation]]</div>* [[Winslow Foundation]]{{Clear}}

The Center does not accept corporate or government grants==Books==* ''[https://www.prwatch.org/books/tsigfy.html Toxic Sludge is Good For You!]''* ''[https://www.prwatch.org/books/madcow.html Mad Cow U.S.A.]''*''[https://www.prwatch.org/books/experts. html Trust Us, We're Experts! How Industry Manipulates Science and Gambles With Your Future]'' *''[httphttps://www.prwatch.org/financesbooks/wmd.htmlWeapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq]'' * ''[http://www.bananarepublicans.org Banana Republicans: How the Right Wing Is Turning America Into a One-Party State]'' *''[https://www.prwatch.org/books/tbwe The Best War Ever: Lies, Damned Lies and the Mess in Iraq]''

== Contact =Other organizations with similar names===

CMD was founded in 1993. Since then a number of other '''unaffiliated''' organizations with similar names have arisen. They also are named, or have in their name, "Center for Media & and Democracy<br>520 University Ave.<br>" These different groups include:Suite 227<br>Madison*[[CMD Pakistan]] - a civil society group in Pakistan, which says its goal is "to ensure free, WI 53703<br>phone fair and transparent holding of upcoming general elections" (608in February 2008) 260[http://www.cmdpakistan.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=51]*[[Schumann Center for Media and Democracy]] -9713<br>a foundation based in New Jersey, which focuses on the environment, good governance and media issuesfax: 608*[[DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy]] -260-9714<br>Emaila research center at Duke University that supports "democratic free media in the United States and around the globe" [http: email editor AT prwatch//www.pubpol.duke.org <br>edu/centers/dewitt/about.html]Web: *[[CCTV Center for Media and Democracy]] - a Burlington, Vermont community media center (CCTV stands for Chittenden Community Television) with a mission of ensuring "free speech and opportunity in the increasingly centralized and commercialized world of electronic media" [http://www.prwatchcctv.org/index.php?SiteAlias=cctv&PageAlias=CCTV_About] ==References==<references/>