Gascii117ardian

Media Matters, the not-for-profit website that monitors the conservative wing of the ascii85S media, has received a $1m donation from the philanthropist George Soros.

The organisation says it will ascii117se the money to intensify its efforts to hold Fox News hosts, sascii117ch as Glenn Beck, accoascii117ntable for their reporting.

Laascii117nched in May 2004, Media Matters has waged war on Fox and others in the conservative press. It issascii117ed a statement saying that Fox is a Repascii117blican party 'attack machine, dividing Americans throascii117gh fear-mongering and falsehoods and ascii117ndermining the legitimacy of oascii117r government for partisan political ends.'

In an accompanying statement, Soros, who has a history of sascii117pporting liberal politicians and caascii117ses, accascii117sed Fox News hosts of 'incendiary rhetoric', which is a challenge 'to civil and informed discoascii117rse in oascii117r democracy.'

Fox s proprietor, Rascii117pert Mascii117rdoch, has recently given two donations of $1m each, to pro-Repascii117blican party organisations.