Media and Democracy Project is a media advocacy organization that urges news outlets and journalists adopt more aggressive left-of-center stances on issues such as abortion, ¹ climate change, ² and election integrity. ³

Activities

Media and Democracy Project is an advocacy group that explicitly condemns “right wing media” for the power it wields “over our electoral outcomes.” To combat the purported threat of right-wing media, it promotes civic engagement by offering readers rubrics to write letters to the editor, supporting specific local and non-profit journalism outlets, engaging in legislative and regulatory advocacy, critiquing media outlets it believes do not promote the right message, countering what it labels as “disinformation,” and sharing resources and research on the impact of corporate media. ⁴

The Project also promotes left-of-center social and political causes on issues like abortion and climate change. For example, it has called abortion an “essential right for everyone who can become pregnant.” In order to expand abortion, the Project urges Americans to take action against media that it believes “downplays major impacts of ending abortion.” The Project affirms that abortion access is essential for “economic equity” and “racial equity.” The Project calls on readers to promote coverage of these issues by sending emails to journalists, engaging journalists directly on social media, and writing letters to the editor. ⁵

Likewise, the Project claims that the media does not do sufficient reporting on the urgency of climate change. The Project advocates that journalists adopt the term “climate emergency” instead of “climate change,” report that there is no scientific evidence contradicting human-caused climate change, report that climate change related disasters costs the United States $17 billion per year, and report that “extreme weather” is caused by climate change. Like with abortion, the Project advocates readers engage directly with journalists and write letters to the editor to promote greater climate activism in the media. ⁶

Fox News FCC Petition

On July 4, 2023, the Media and Democracy Project filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requesting the agency deny a broadcasting license to the local television station Fox 29 Philadelphia. The Project claims that “senior management of Fox Corporation (FOX) manipulated its audience by knowingly broadcasting false news about the 2020 election” and that this reporting “was a contributing factor to the attack on our nation’s Capitol on January 6, 2021.” More specifically, the petition cited FOX’s litigation and settlement with Dominion Voting Systems. While the Project filed a complaint against a local Fox station, its public statements focus on the parent company, Fox Corporation, and the Fox media moguls Rubert and Lachlan Murdoch. ⁷

Commentator William Kristol publicly supported the Media and Democracy Project’s objection to the renewal of FOX 29’s broadcast licensing. ⁸

People

The Media and Democracy Project was co-founded by Brian Hansbury, who has equated Republican skepticism about election integrity with fascism. ⁹ Hansbury also claimed the “mainstream media is biased to the right” while affirming right-wing news outlets were “extreme.” Hansbury has claimed that former President Donald Trump engages in “stochastic terrorism” and “attempted a coup.” ¹⁰

1. “Abortion Rights Coverage.” Media and Democracy Project. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://www.mediaanddemocracyproject.org/abortioncoverage.
2. “Climate Emergency Coverage.” Media and Democracy Project. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://www.mediaanddemocracyproject.org/climatecoverage
3. “Projects.” Media and Democracy Project. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://www.mediaanddemocracyproject.org/projects
4. “About.” Media and Democracy Project. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://www.mediaanddemocracyproject.org/about
5. “Abortion rights Coverage.” Media and Democracy Project. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://www.mediaanddemocracyproject.org/abortioncoverage.
6. “Climate Emergency Coverage.” Media and Democracy Project. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://www.mediaanddemocracyproject.org/climatecoverage
7. “FCC Filing.” Media and Democracy Project. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://www.mediaanddemocracyproject.org/fcc-license-renewal-challenge.
8. Bill Kristol Tweet 11:16am, July 31, 2023. Twitter. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://twitter.com/billkristol/status/1686048070989918209.
9. Hansbury, Brian. “Media isn’t doing nearly enough to defend democracy—but it’s not too late to change.” Salon. October 23, 222. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://www.salon.com/2022/10/23/media-isnt-doing-nearly-enough-to-defend-democracy–but-its-not-too-late-to-change/.
10. Hansbury, Brian. “The Mainstream Media Is Biased to the Right, And The Right Is Now Extreme.” Substack: The Media and Democracy Project Blog. July 3, 2023. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://mediaanddemocracyproject.substack.com/p/the-mainstream-media-is-biased-to.