Media Matters Fires a Dozen Staffers Amidst Federal Probe and Lawsuit

The left-wing media outlet Media Matters has fired at least a dozen of its staffers as the company currently faces immense pressure from a federal investigation and a lawsuit by Elon Musk, the CEO of X.

As reported by the Daily Caller, several ex-staffers announced their terminations on social media after the decision was made. Media Matters is currently being investigated by Attorneys General Ken Paxton of Texas and Andrew Bailey of Missouri, over allegations of fraud by manipulation of data on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.

In addition, X CEO Elon Musk, who purchased the company in 2022, filed a defamation lawsuit against the outlet in a federal court in November. The suit stems from Media Matters’ creation of fake images claiming to show advertisements from big corporations appearing next to posts by alleged “White supremacists.”

“Bad News: I’ve been laid off from @mmfa, along with a dozen colleagues,” said ex-staffer Kat Abughazaleh. “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).”

“Got laid off, [let me know] who wants research done,” said ex-employee Brendan Karet on X. “On the plus side, no more listening to the dumbest dogshit on earth everyday.”

Media Matters is known for a far-left slant, despite claiming to be non-partisan. It is one of several major left-wing internet-based publications that has taken a massive hit to its credibility and its finances in recent years. Another far-left internet outlet, NowThis, fired half of its editorial team in February, in what the company claimed was a “broader initiative to realign our resources and structure to ensure a long-term sustainable business in the evolving media landscape.”

Other examples include The Intercept, which fired 15 staffers on the same day as NowThis’s layoffs; among those fired was The Intercept’s Editor-in-Chief, Roger Hodge. The Messenger, another startup internet outlet founded in May of 2023, shut down after less than one year in existence.