May 23, 2024 – Media Matters lays off a dozen staffers amid federal probe and Elon Musk lawsuit

In Email/Dossier/Govt Corruption Investigations, Featured Timeline Entries by Katie Weddington

Media Matters followed suit with several liberal outlets by laying off at least a dozen staffers following a federal probe and lawsuit by “X” chief executive officer Elon Musk.

Staffers, some of whom have been with Media Matters for years, took to social media announcing their sudden departure from the outlet. The layoffs followed federal probes filed by Republican Attorneys General Ken Paxton of Texas and Andrew Bailey of Missouri into the outlet for possible fraudulent activity by allegedly manipulating data on “X,” formerly known as Twitter.

Musk filed a defamation lawsuit against Media Matters in federal court in November, as the site has accused the outlet of “knowingly” manufacturing images showing advertisements from major corporations alongside posts made by white supremacists and neo-Nazis.

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

(…) Media Matters’ staffing purge is the latest in the liberal media bloodbath that has become prominent in recent years. NowThis laid off half of its editorial team in February as part of a “broader initiative to realign our resources and structure to ensure a long-term sustainable business in the evolving media landscape.” The Intercept laid off 15 staffers including its Editor-in-Chief Roger Hodge, on the same day.(Read more: The Daily Caller, 5/23/2024) (Archive)