Stimulus Posted May 25 Posted May 25 'Sad day for free speech': Media Matters for America announces layoffs following Elon Musk lawsuit PinkNews / Michele Theil / May 24, 2024 Quote Media Matters for America, a non-profit media watchdog, have announced a round of layoffs, which they have said are linked to the financial strain caused by a lawsuit filed against them by tech CEO Elon Musk. Founded in 2004, Media Matters describes itself as a "progressive research and information centre dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the US media". In the announcement of layoffs yesterday (May 23), President of Media Matters Angelo Carusone said: "We're confronting a legal assault on multiple fronts and given how rapidly the media landscape is shifting, we need to be extremely intentional about how we allocate resources in order to stay effective. Nobody does what Media Matters does." Carusone said the layoffs were to "ensure that we are sustainable, sturdy, and successful for whatever lies ahead". Nearly 20 staffers at the organisation, including researchers and producers, were affected by the layoffs. Ari Drennen, the LGBTQ+ program director at Media Matters, wrote on X that many of her "best colleagues" lost their jobs as a result of the layoffs. "However you feel about our work, it should worry you that any billionaire could do this to any outlet at any time for any reason. It's a sad day for free speech," she added. Musk launched what he called a "thermonuclear" lawsuit after Media Matters reported that there was a litany of "pro-Nazi content" on X (formerly known as Twitter), which Musk owns, alongside corporate ads from Apple, Bravo, Oracle, Xfinity, and IBM. Source Related Mastodon: What It Is and How to Join It How to get started using Bluesky Social: Everything you need to know
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