Jun 19, 2012
Trained on Koch: Daily Caller Claims Fake Rebuttal of CMD on ALEC Role Promoting “Stand Your Ground” Laws
From an article published at the Center for Media and Democracy, by Lisa Graves, Ex. Dir.
From Lisa’s outstanding expose on Koch bought media…
“It’s a Koch-Fueled World for Some Given Megaphones on the Right”
The author of the piece was given the title of “Investigative Researcher of the Daily Caller News Foundation” based on his experience in the following internships and gigs at Koch-funded operations, according to his own LinkedIn profile:
- Koch Internship Program at Charles Koch Institute
- Government Relations Intern at The Heritage Foundation
- Koch Summer Fellow at Institute for Humane Studies
- Research Associate at Cascade Policy Institute
- Public Affairs Intern at ALEC
I have previously written about the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) and the Koch Summer Internship Program. Through these two “non-profit” charities, the Koch’s have provided internship jobs to hundreds of young conservative college students. IHS and Koch pay to staff more than 80 conservative organizations, foundations and institutes with interns (entities that the Koch’s also fund, by the way). After successfully completing an internship, individuals are then provided with the opportunity to participate in a follow-up Fellowship program:
“Humane Studies Fellowships are awarded to graduate students and outstanding undergraduates embarking on liberty-advancing careers in ideas. The fellowships support study in a variety of fields, including economics, philosophy, law, political science, history, and sociology.
“Awards range from $2,000 to $15,000 and fellowship winners may re-apply for each year of their studies. In 2011, the Institute for Humane Studies awarded more than $750,000 to 195 students.
“The program is open to full-time and prospective graduate students, including law and MBA students. There are a limited number of fellowships open to undergraduate juniors and seniors with a demonstrated interest in pursuing a scholarly career.”
One aspect of the IHS that the article by Ms. Graves didn’t mention that I think is worthy of more attention, is the IHS Journalism Internship Program. Through this program the Koch’s have a pathway to providing interns to key media outlets that cover the entire reporting genre; digital, broadcast, investigative journalism and print. As the link to digital media explains, the IHS proudly exclaims that they have successfully placed interns with the Daily Caller .I have to wonder if one of those placements was Michael Bastasch who wrote the pro-ALEC article at the DC?
“Host organizations include web-only media firms and established media companies with aggressive new media strategies. Program interns have worked at the following organizations:
The IHS Journalism Internship Program also has a Journalism & a Free Society Seminar for those who successfully complete internships:
“An important part of the internship program is the Journalism & the Free Society summer seminar featuring a mix of lectures, workshops, discussion groups, and social activities. Interns from all three sessions—fall, spring, and summer—attend the seminar.
“Practicing journalists share their experiences and offer career advice. Professors explain contemporary economics and political science as they relate to journalism. Throughout each day, there are many opportunities to network with other program interns as well as with journalists, professors, and the internship program’s director.”
Throughout the IHS site one finds the same “buzz words”; free society, free markets, liberty and individual liberty. IHS’ site offers guides on Learning Liberty (where it takes you offsite to a video titled; “Is the Affordable Care Act Constitutional?”). There’s also a “liberty guide” where you can find job opportunities, receive important emails and articles on liberty. All the “right” terms typically used by Conservatives to mask their actual pursuits of denying the typical middle class citizen actual liberty,chaining our society and markets controlled by the 1%er’s. All the hype, disinformation and typical propaganda used to misinform and distract….also typical Koch and ALEC strategies and tactics.
To read the full Graves article, click here…
