Soros-laced gift to ADN will support ‘investigative’ journalism

By
Suzanne Downing
-
21

Alaska’s largest newspaper has just been awarded a grant from ProPublica, a George Soros-funded organization that is a politically charged entity.

The Anchorage Daily News was one of several newspapers receiving such grants.

Soros is a major funder of left-leaning causes and is the force behind the Open Society Foundation. He is, in a nutshell, the “Koch Brothers” of the Left — a symbol of a rich man who made billions of dollars in business and now uses some of his money to influence the course of human events in the way that he sees fit.

The founders of ProPublica are actually Herbert and Marion Sandler, who have bequeathed over $1 billion dollars to groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union, Earthjustice, MoveOn.org, and the American Constitution Society, which opposes the work of the right-leaning Federalist Society.

The Sandler Foundation currently supports a multitude of left-leaning organizations.

As for Soros, since 2003, he has spent more than $48 million funding news media properties and journalism schools, according to the Media Research Center.

In response to Gov. Bevin’s video, the Soros Foundation called Bevin “anti-semitic,” which has become a common counter-attack from the Left.

“Those who bring to light uncomfortable truths are dismissed as ‘fake news’ or, in our case, the work of the ‘Soros-funded’ ProPublica, the all-purpose, vaguely anti-Semitic epithet meant to connote left-wing bias,” wrote editor-in-chief Stephen Engelberg.

The President of ProPublica Richard Tofel said the remarks were “tinged with anti-Semitism.”

Juneau conservatives watched that same demonization of their points of view play out this election cycle. Earlier this year, Republican women in the capital city sent a campaign flyer warning people that if they gave Jessie Kiehl their vote, “you may as well give him your wallet.”

The message on the opposite side of the postcard clearly stated that the GOP women oppose more taxes and that Kiehl was a tax-and-spend Democrat to be avoided. There was a choice, the women said. Choose the Democrat and hold onto your wallet.

But instantly the Juneau progressives attacked full force, and called the Republican women “anti-semitic.” Kiehl is Jewish. The issue was so toxic it quickly made it into the local newspaper The Juneau Empire.

It’s the same tactic ProPublica is using to shut down dissent.

WHAT WILL PROPUBLICA PAY FOR AT ADN?

Under the one-year grant from ProPublica, the salary and benefits of reporters will be paid for by the organization, which states that only 2 percent of its funding comes from Soros.

In Anchorage, that reporter is Kyle Hopkins, a general assignment reporter who has distinguished himself with his innovative crime-related reporting.

Other newspapers who won grants include:

  • Illinois Newsroom (Urbana, Illinois)
  • Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting (Jackson, Mississippi)
  • MLK50: Justice Through Journalism (Memphis, Tennessee)
  • NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
  • The Public’s Radio (Providence, Rhode Island)
  • Reckon by AL.com | The Birmingham News (Birmingham, Alabama)
  • The Charleston Gazette-Mail (Charleston, West Virginia)
  • Connecticut Mirror (Hartford, Connecticut)
  • The Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois)
  • Louisville Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky)
  • The Post and Courier (Charleston, South Carolina)
  • The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California)
  • WNYC (New York)

ProPublica calls itself “an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. With a team of more than 75 dedicated journalists, ProPublica covers a range of topics, focusing on stories with the potential to spur real-world impact. Its reporting has contributed to the passage of new laws; reversals of harmful policies and practices; and accountability for leaders at local, state and national levels. Since it began publishing in 2008, ProPublica has received four Pulitzer Prizes, three Peabody Awards, two Emmy Awards and five George Polk Awards, among others.”

In other words, it openly admits it is cause-oriented and has a mission to change public policy.

(Must Read Alaska is an independent online newsroom that is a privately held news and commentary publication, which produces journalism that is also in the public interest, with one writer and an occasional columnist. It has not received a Pulitzer Prize in its three-year history, and likely never will.)

21 COMMENTS

  1. Hmmm, I thought news reporters and newspapers avoided being funded from special interest groups in order to remain neutral. So, if the ADN takes this “grant” does that make it a Soros newsgathering entity, or a propaganda publication? Whatever, this comment is no reflection on Mr. Hopkins reporting which in the past has been professional and well balanced. Will this change?

  2. When a supposedly for-profit newspaper starts accepting “grants” from outside entities, common sense suggests that some weird stuff is going to happen. As a reporter for Channel 2, Mr. Hopkins seemed to place himself squarely in the middle of several stories, where it was unclear if the report was about events or about the reporter. For openers, I would suggest to Governor Dunleavy that he never do an interview with Mr. Hopkins/Soros. There is no need to feed this beast; the beast will bite plenty hard without provocation.

  3. This acceptance of the Soros backed grant really surprises me. The ADN is owned by the Binkley family up in Fairbanks. They swept in when the paper was in its death throes, rescuing it for nickles on the dollar. It was actually kind of a gutsy move by the Binkleys, though they are well healed in cash. If you look at the Binkley grandparents (Capt. Jim and Mary), they were solid Republicans and conservative business owners. Jim won a couple terms to the state House as a Republican. His son Johne was a Republican who won both a House and Senate seat out of Bethel. The grandkids, maybe not so much. Capt Jim would be rolling in his grave if he knew his grandkids were involved with any Soros money. Money is money, but if you borrow from the devil, you may end up paying more to the piper

  5. Well, I thought that the Binkley’s would make something out of Alice’s blog, but it appears that it’s still just a fish wrapper.

  7. The ADN is already a Communist Propaganda Rag that all the local Red Diaper Doper Boomer Babies fawn over. Why not get funding from Globalist Commie Financiers.

    • What, pray tell, is a Red Diaper Doper Boomer Baby? Being a baby boomer myself, the verbiage in this sentence cut close to home. I am not a communist, I do not wear diapers and I most certainly don’t fawn over the ADN. Am I being too literal?

  8. I’ve tried to read that daily rag whenever I’m in Anchorage, but I never quite make it to page 7 because 1.) I quickly lose interest in the AP stories that have been gypped. 2.) Given the paper away to someone before they’ve paid for it (I got mine as a freebie from the hotel). But the best reason I have for not finishing the paper, … is that I had to use it for cleaning my shoes because I got sick.

  9. All, get ready for the endless attacks on the Dunleavy Administration. The Binkley boys may have sacrificed their values/principles for $$. Sad.

  10. Captain Jim Binkley’s grandkids run the ADN, along with a Native partner. They grew up in the tourist business with millions of dollars already in their trust accounts. All they have ever known is making money on tourists. This ADN venture could prove a bit much for them though, for now they have to choose political sides. Running a paper is more than just a business. And they never ran a paper previously. If Ryan Binkley ever decides he wants to go into politics like his dad and grandad, he better weigh-out the political feelings of the average Alaskan who is not a millionaire. Attacks on Dunleavy and his Administration will not leverage Ryan a political future. Nor, will praise to Walker or the Left Establishnent. His dad, Johne, learned this lesson thr hard way when he ran for governor in 2006. Johne’s prior support of Tony Knowles’ gubernatorial campaigns in exchange for railroad board appointments worked great for himself, that is, until Johne begged for support by fellow Republicans in 2006. He was whipped soundly by upstart Sarah Palin.

  11. Interesting comments, Marla. If the dad is trying to teach the son what works in politics, he better also mention what doesn’t work. Lest, the method of failure will rear its head a thousand times. It sounds like Johne Binkley knows what doesn’t work.

  12. “To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you’re not allowed to criticize” – Voltaire. It’s increasingly apparent who we’re not allowed to criticize.

  13. All you anti-Soros bashing idiots and morons are just envious of people who have more money than you do. If you were as smart as all that America would not now be a demonocracy. Find your own sanity before you judge those who use money to shed light on your own evil purposes.

    • Ok, I’ll bite. “Anti-Soros bashing IDIOTS and MORONS”. I went back and read the other posts. You appear to be the only one that used words like this. There is so much more to say but I will pass. I have Christmas cards to write. Maybe you could do your own research on Mr. Soros and learn a bit more about him. Please do remember this about socialism and its cousin communism: The bigger the government, the smaller its citizens. I’d rather be poor and free. Be careful what you wish for.

    • Funny, Alex. I haven’t heard one thing from anyone in Suzanne’s on-line news about anybody being envious of other people’s money. That’s a typical Democrat’s gripe. Republicans encourage people to get off the government dole and earn their own money. The argument here, since you’ve missed the point entirely, is that honest news reporting was expected as a higher standard because the ADN was presumably Republican controlled. Maybe the ADN is not in the hands of true Republicans. Soros is the low water benchmark for honesty and independent thinking. He represents the dangerous gutter of
      manipulation and mind control. Sounds like he’s got you.

  14. Oh ya. Let the games begin! When I heard the Binkleys were buying the paper, I thought I was getting my Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas. Full of joy and hope! But, as did Alice before, so goes this owner. The ADN will feed those that read it an onslaught of right-wing horrors, conspiracies, and social injustices. Attacks on the administration will be relentless. I don’t know if the paper is just a fun hobby for the Binkley’s, or if the $ will actually run out at some point as it did for Alice. I hope it does.

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