http://thefreethoughtproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/soros-media.jpg

In 2010, George Soros announced he would be <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/1010/Soros_gives_1_million_to_Media_Matters.html" target="_blank">giving $1 million to Media Matters</a> to “hold Fox News accountable for the false and misleading information they so often broadcast.” Translation:<a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/1010/Soros_gives_1_million_to_Media_Matters.html"> Soros-funded </a>Media Matters to combat Fox News, something it ostensibly labeled as “fake news,” an apparent smear tactic deployed as a result ostensibly progressive agenda. Fast-forward to 2017, and the billionaire trouble-maker is now using his influence at Media Matters to combat “fake news” on Facebook, except this time they're trying to keep it secret.

When Facebook announced at the end of 2016 it would be working to eliminate “fake news” stories on its social media platform, many news media organizations, including The Free Thought Project, were understandably nervous, and with good reason. Not long after the announcement was made, TFTP was banned by Facebook for over two weeks, only having their account restored just days before the start of the New Year. The Washington Post also put out a hit piece targeting TFTP and others, which has since been retracted, in a blatant attempt at smearing their critics.

Now, it seems, we know who is behind this Facebook crackdown on alternative media, the George Soros-funded Media Matters.

According to <a href="http://freebeacon.com/politics/media-matters-says-secretly-working-facebook-fight-fake-news/" target="_blank">The Free Beacon</a>, it was revealed through internal Media Matters documents that Media Matters was quietly working with Facebook to identify and eliminate fake news and propaganda. “Media Matters told current and prospective donors at a retreat in Florida over the weekend that it has been in discussions with Facebook leadership about their policies on inaccurate and partisan news stories on the website that many liberals blame for political losses last year,” the Beacon writes.

According to a “briefing book” given to attendees at the Media Matters conference and obtained by the Beacon, the left-wing news organization admitted, “We’ve been engaging with Facebook leadership behind the scenes to share our expertise and offer input on developing meaningful solutions.” Facebook promised that “Media Matters will serve as their partner,” in having a more active role in combating what it will determine is “fake news.” In other words, Facebook, and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, are working with the militantly progressive news media organization to silence any organization it deems to be “fake news” which are little more than news sites who challenge the status quo.

If this doesn’t seem fair, that’s because it isn’t. It goes against every principle of journalism, free speech, and freedom of press the country has historically defended tooth and nail. By its own admission, Media Matters is censoring free speech on Facebook, and all with the company’s blessing. The soon to be scandal for Facebook is the latest in a long series of scandals which has targeted the free speech rights of certain individuals, and organizations.

According to the Free Beacon, everything seems to be going as Media Matters planned it. They used a crafty fundraising campaign to put pressure on Facebook to address the newly invented crisis of the proliferation of fake news, forcing an announcement by the company that it would be weeding out purveyors of “fake news.”

Now, Media Matters is confirming what many suspected already, that a Soros-funded organization was attempting to curtail free speech on Facebook. “After Facebook responded to our campaign by acknowledging the problem of fake news and agreeing to do something about it, we began a dialogue,” Media Matters’ brief states. Going further Media Matters confirmed the relationship saying, “It became clear from these conversations that Facebook needed our help in fully understanding the problem and identifying concrete solutions.” Media Matters confirms its goal is to, “adjust its (Facebook) model to stem the flow of damaging fake news on its platform’s pages.”

Building on their successful relationship with Facebook, Media Matters wrote in their brief that they intend to use their power, money and influence to force Google into following Facebook’s lead on combatting “fake news.” The Soros-funded organization bragged about the success they’re already having at Google. “After Google revised their terms of service in order to prohibit so-called fake news sites from using their advertising network, it was Media Matters that had the information necessary to identify 40 of the worst fake news sites to which this policy applied,” the company wrote promising if they’re successful, “Google will cut off these pages’ accompanying sites’ access to revenue by pulling their access to Google’s ad platform.”

“After Google revised their terms of service in order to prohibit so-called fake news sites from using their advertising network, it was Media Matters that had the information necessary to identify 40 of the worst fake news sites to which this policy applied,” the company wrote. “Google will cut off these pages’ accompanying sites’ access to revenue by pulling their access to Google’s ad platform.”

The pressure to censor free speech on social media platforms is apparently working. The Soros-funded Media Matters not only was successful in getting Facebook and Google to consider “fake news” a problem, but also helped the two companies deprive the targeted organizations from the funding they need to continue publication. The Free Beacon wrote;
<blockquote>Facebook <a href="http://www.politico.com/media/story/2017/01/facebook-tweaks-trending-topics-to-fight-fake-news-004917">announced</a> on Wednesday that it would change the algorithm behind its popular “trending topics” section, which will now base popularity on the number of Facebook-designated publishers discussing a story, rather than the number of users discussing it. Google also <a href="http://www.recode.net/2017/1/25/14375750/google-adsense-advertisers-publishers-fake-news">said</a> on Wednesday that it has banned 200 publishers from its advertising network as part of its efforts to combat fake news sites. The company refused to say which sites had been targeted.</blockquote>