Accuracy In Media

AIM openly maintains many ties to conservative groups and is known for criticizing n Contra leaders such as José Francisco Cardenal . It also supported the ''Committee for a Free Afghanistan '', a US group that backed the Afghans who fought the Soviet invasion. Also supported are Augusto Pinochet , who was called a savior of Chile , and the group often quotes from '' The Epoch Times '', a group that publishes information on Chinese human rights abuses.

AIM publishes a bimonthly newsletter called the ''AIM Report'', of which Irvine is the editor. In these newsletters Irvine often encourages subscribers to write to people or organizations urging them to change their policies. This has become daily over the Internet and through E-mail with current AIM Editor Cliff Kincaid and Roger Aronoff since 2000 .

In the early days, AIM was run primarily by Irvine and then-executive secretary Abraham Kalish . Kalish and Irvine would send letters to the editors of many newspapers promoting their organization. If a letter was rejected, AIM would buy space in that paper and print the letter. Beginning in 1975 , AIM began purchasing Stock in major media companies, which allowed Irvine to attend their annual meetings and make AIM's views known. He has been described as combative and occasionally rude during those encounters. Irvine now has an annual private meeting with the publisher of '' The New York Times '', which critics say serves primarily to isolate other shareholders from Irvine's campaigning. ''Times'' vice-chair Sydney Gruson claims "I never find any merit in AIM's allegations."

At CBS 's meetings, Irvine frequently denounced Walter Cronkite as a Soviet dupe. At a 1986 meeting, Irvine requested that Cronkite be removed from the CBS board of directors for allegedly supporting unilateral disarmament.

AIM also famously denounced journalist Helen Marmor , who in 1983 produced a documentary for NBC concerning the Russian Orthodox Church . AIM contended that "it ignored the repressive religious policies of the Soviet state."

The group also denounced ''New York Times'' reporter Raymond Bonner for his reporting in January 1982 of the El Mozote Massacre in El Salvador . AIM devoted an entire edition of its ''AIM Report'' to Bonner, reporting that "Mr. Bonner had been worth a division to the communists in Central America ." The issue included some insinuations about Bonner's political sympathies, noting that he had once worked for Ralph Nader .

AIM has been critical of the and News Channel .[http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=17373]

In a December 13, 2005 column AIM columnist Cliff Kincaid called for a "Quit Gay Sex" campaign to rival "Quit Smoking Campaigns" launched by certain media outlets in the United States. He contended that homosexual sex is widespread and homosexual men "simply cannot stop having homosexual sex" and that it was spreading HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. {Link without Title}

Critics say AIM's attacks on the media seem to have little to do with actual misrepresentation or inaccuracies in media accounts. They assert that Irvine and AIM is quick to attack groups that do not fit in the group's ideological niche. Donald Graham , the publisher of '' The Washington Post '', alleges that Irvine tends to "throw around accusations about people being Communists ."

Supporters of AIM, however, contends that it pursues issues that are not on the agenda of the mainstream media.

AIM has also been vigorously defensive of former Senator Joseph McCarthy , referring to his critics as "liars" and "communists", and has defended his legacy, claiming that he never once fingered an innocent person in his accusations during the Red Scare . Cliff Kincaid has made a specific mention of Wikipedia in attacking George Clooney for his film about McCarthy, referring to it with the headline: "WORSE THAN WIKIPEDIA". {Link without Title}

FUNDING

Irvine claims that 75 percent of AIM's funding comes from contributors donating $100 (, Shelby Cullom Davis , and billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife

Other groups that have supported AIM include Mobil Oil and Union Carbide . In 1985, AIM received a $20,000 grant from the Adolph Coors Foundation , and $7,000 from the Texaco Philanthropic Foundation . In 1986 , it received $5,000 from Texaco . {Link without Title}

In December 2004, the American Institute Of Philanthropy gave AIM a grade of "C+" for not-for-profit effectiveness. It noted that it would have awarded a grade of "A", but reduced the grade because AIM retains 4.1 years' worth of operating expenses in assets. It feels that AIM is in a poor position to ask donors for more funding when it is already cash-rich.

SEE ALSO

Arkansas Project - The project to discredit President Clinton.

Fairness And Accuracy In Reporting

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Accuracy In Media