L. Brent Bozell and the Media Research Center
L. Brent Bozell III calls himself "one of the most outspoken and effective national leaders in the conservative movement today."
Bozell is founder and chairman of the board of the Media Research Center, "the largest media watchdog organization in America." The MRC was founded in 1987. His books include "And That's the Way It Isn't: A Reference Guide to Media Bias"; "Pattern of Deception: The Media's Role in the Clinton Presidency"; "How to Identify, Expose and Correct Liberal Media Bias"; and "Out of Focus: Network Television and the American Economy." Bozell is also founder and chairman of the Parents Television Council, "the only Hollywood-based organization dedicated to restoring responsibility to the entertainment industry." Bozell is a nephew of conservative icon William F. Buckley Jr. and the son of L. Brent Bozell Jr., who co-wrote "The Conscience of a Conservative" with Barry Goldwater.
In 1998, Bozell launched the Conservative Communications Center (C3) and its online news division, Conservative News Service, now Cybercast News Service. CNSNews.com "specializes in covering news stories the major networks seem to be omitting," which in practice has meant an emphasis on stories that appeal to conservatives and criticize liberals. The mission of C3 is "to provide the conservative movement with the marketing and public relations tools necessary to proactively deliver its message into the 21st century." In 1995, Bozell founded the Parents Television Council, a watchdog group that aims to "bring America’s demand for positive, family-oriented television programming to the entertainment industry."
Bozell also serves as executive director of the Conservative Victory Committee, an "independent multi-candidate political action committee" whose goal is to help elect conservative candidates to office. He has also served as national finance chairman for the Pat Buchanan's 1992 presidential campaign and finance director and president of the National Conservative Political Action Committee. He also writes a syndicated column, which is reproduced on the MRC web site.
Bozell is also a member of the Council for National Policy, a secretive group described as a congregation of "the Right's Washington operatives and politicians, its financiers, and its hard-core religious arm."
The Media Research Center, headquartered in Alexandria, Va., bills itself as "a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education foundation"; donations are tax-deductible. The MRC is a steady recipient of donations from conservative-oriented foundations. In 1996, its operating budget was just under $4 million; in 2000, it was $15 million.