Unbendable Media is a left-of-center public relations firm that was founded in 2016 by former staff of the left-of-center public relations firm FitzGibbon Media after it closed following allegations of personal misconduct against its president, Trevor FitzGibbon. 1 2
Unbendable Media’ clients include Media Matters for America, Demand Justice, 3 pro-abortion NARAL Pro-Choice California, 4 pro-marijuana legalization Americans for Safe Access, 5 Progressive Change Campaign Committee, 6 and the national Communication Workers of America labor union, which is a member of the AFL-CIO. 7 8
Unbendable Media’s work has included promoting left-of-center policy approaches to detention of illegal immigrants, critical race theory-influenced social justice issues, gender issues, the #MeToo Movement, and the alleged gender pay gap in Hollywood. 9 10 11
History and Leadership
Unbendable Media was co-founded in 2016 by Brett Abrams, Madison Donzis, and Anna Zuccaro. The three previously worked for public relations firm FitzGibbon Media as the senior director of media relations, account manager, and media relations specialist respectively. 12 13 14 15
Unbendable Media’s name comes from the supposed “unbendable values of the staff” of FitzGibbon Media after FitzGibbon Media closed in December 2015 following allegations of personal misconduct against the organization’s president Trevor FitzGibbon. 2 When Unbendable Media launched in 2016, it hired five former staffers of the FitzGibbon Media and retained at least 12 former FitzGibbon Media accounts and clients. 2
As of March 2024, Unbendable Media co-founder Brett Abrams is the organization’s CEO. 12 Abrams also is a key consultant for left-of-center MomsRising Together 10 and works in media relations for Voices for Fosters. 16 Prior to working at FitzGibbon Media, Abrams was campaign director at U.S. Public Interest Research Group, which was founded by left-wing activist Ralph Nader. 10
Anna Zuccaro was a co-founder of Unbendable Media until leaving the company in February 2024. As of September 2024 she worked as a law clerk for New York-based law firm Mintz. Previously, she was a media relations strategist for FitzGibbon Media, a public relations consultant for Up to Us, and a communications consultant for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). 15
Unbendable Media maintains offices in New York City and Washington, D.C. 17
Activities and Funding
Unbendable Media is a left-of-center public relations firm that seeks to gain earned media and media attention for left-of-center organizations. The organization has worked on the development and implementation of distribution projects 1 and media strategies for left-of-center campaigns. Unbendable Media targets companies to hold them and their advertisers accountable for what Unbendable Media considers problematic, racist, or sexist endorsements. 10
Unbendable Media also works on left-of-center approaches to issues related to detention of illegal immigrants and Medicaid expansion. 10 It also has worked with left-of-center nonprofit organizations on critical race theory-influenced social justice issues, gender issues, the #MeToo Movement, 11 and Hollywood’s alleged gender pay gap. 9
Clients
Unbendable Media represents the left-wing media criticism outlet Media Matters for America and Demand Justice, a left-of-center group focused on the federal judiciary. During the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Unbendable Media shared advertisements created by Demand Justice that criticized Facebook’s association with Kavanaugh and the Federalist Society and urged Facebook employees to work anonymously with its activists. 18
Unbendable Media has written press releases for and supported other left-of-center organizations, including NARAL Pro-Choice California in its endorsement of Democrats running for office in California, 4 the pro-marijuana legalization organization Americans for Safe Access, 5 the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, 6 and the national Communication Workers of America labor union, which is a member of the AFL-CIO. 7
References
- “The One Show.” The One Club. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.oneclub.org/awards/theoneshow/-award/37604/menstruation.
- Bhambhani, Dipka. “Former FitzGibbon staffer launches Unbendable Media.” PR Week. January 11, 2016. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.prweek.com/article/1378928/former-fitzgibbon-staffer-launches-unbendable-media.
- Lovelace, Ryan. “Progressive groups blast Facebook for courting the right.” Washington Times. November 30, 2019. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/nov/30/progressive-groups-blast-facebook-courting-right/.
- “Press Release.” NARAL Pro-Choice California. February 18, 2020. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://capitolmr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/naral.pdf.
- “Medical Marijuana Group Responds to AG Sessions Comments.” Americans for Safe Access Press Releases. March 15, 2017. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.safeaccessnow.org/medical_marijuana_group_responds_to_ag_sessions_comments.
- “Schedule B: Itemized Disbursements.” Federal Election Committee Campaign Information. Accessed March 22, 2024. https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00458000/1205793/sb/ALL/4.
- “Communication Workers of America.” Receipts for Unbendable Medial LLC. Union Facts. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.unionfacts.com/payeeDetail/Communications_Workers_of_America/2955266.
- “Communications Workers AFL-CIO.” Form LM-2 Labor Organization Annual Report. 2021. https://auburniuefacts.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/69/CWA-lm2.pdf.
- “#TimesUp For Hollywood’s Gender Pay Gap.” Shorty Awards. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.unionfacts.com/payeeDetail/Communications_Workers_of_America/2955266.
- “Brett Abrams.” MomsRising. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.momsrising.org/blog/users/brett-abrams.
- “Unbendable Media.” Idealist. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.idealist.org/en/consultant/33e450dca11e4fa8a5b3dfa32a742dc3-unbendable-media-new-york.
- “Brett Abrams.” Unbendable Media. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-abrams-4a897053/.
- “Madison Donzis.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/madisondonzis/.
- “Twitter Profile.” Madison Donzis Twitter. Accessed March 22, 2024. https://twitter.com/mad_donzis?lang=zh-Hant.
- “Anna Zuccaro.” LinkedIn, Accessed January 23, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/azuccaro
- “About.” Voices for Fosters. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.voicesforfosters.org/about-us.
- “Home.” Unbendable Media. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.unbendablemedia.com/.
- [1] Lovelace, Ryan. “Progressive groups blast Facebook for courting the right.” Washington Times. November 30, 2019. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/nov/30/progressive-groups-blast-facebook-courting-right/.