United States: Elon Musk’s Defamation Suit Forces Media Matters for America to Layoff Staff
Women Press Freedom stands in solidarity with MMFA, condemning the legal pressures from Musk’s lawsuit and urging for transparency and support for affected staff members
Location: United States, Washington DC
Date: May 22, 2024
Women Press Freedom stands in unwavering solidarity with the Media Matters for America (MMFA) team affected by recent layoffs, as the media watchdog attributes legal pressures, including a lawsuit from Elon Musk, as a contributing factor in the decision to let go of a dozen of its employees. Musk filed the lawsuit following Media Matters’ report linking his platform to advertisements alongside content that praised Nazis and white nationalists. We strongly condemn the legal harassment of Media Matters by Elon Musk and call for all charges to be dropped immediately. We urge Media Matters to communicate transparently about the layoffs and forthcoming plans for the affected staff members.
On May 22, 2024, Media Matters for America revealed plans to lay off around a dozen staff members. Legal pressures, including a lawsuit from Elon Musk's X social media platform, were a key factor in the decision. In a statement, Media Matters president Angelo Carusone underscored the importance of strategically reallocating resources to adapt to the changing media environment and ensure continued effectiveness.
The organization's clash with Elon Musk's X Corp. began when Media Matters published a report linking the platform to ads alongside content praising Nazis and white nationalists. Musk's subsequent lawsuit accused Media Matters of defamation and misleading claims, stating that X employs safeguards to prevent such placements and that Media Matters manipulated user features for its report.
"We're confronting a legal assault on multiple fronts, and we need to be intentional about resource allocation to ensure sustainability and success," says Carusone.
In the wake of recent layoffs, several affected employees turned to social media to share their experiences and seek new job opportunities. Journalist Kat Abu tweeted, "Bad News: I've been laid off from @mmfa, along with a dozen colleagues. There's a reason far-right billionaires attack Media Matters with armies of lawyers: They know how effective our work is, and it terrifies them (him)."
Media Matters is renowned for its campaigns urging companies to withdraw advertising from conservative media outlets. The group focuses on entities like Fox News and prominent talk radio personalities. Over the years, the group has focused on people such as Glenn Beck, Laura Ingraham, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, and Andrew Breitbart.
Women Press Freedom has diligently monitored and consistently documented the surge of layoffs occurring in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. We remain committed to advocating for press freedom and the preservation of independent journalism.
Women Press Freedom stands in unwavering solidarity with the Media Matters for America staff members who are grappling with impending layoffs in the midst of a defamation lawsuit initiated by Elon Musk. We express profound concern regarding the pervasive wave of layoffs affecting newsrooms throughout the United States, which are establishing a precarious precedent for independent journalistic voices. We strongly denounce the legal harassment spearheaded by Musk, which appears to be an attempt to stifle critical viewpoints on his platform. Such actions are viewed as a clear violation of press freedom and fundamental democratic principles. Consequently, Women Press Freedom demands the immediate dismissal of all charges against Media Matters for America.
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