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Nonprofiteer
← MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER INC

Form 990 for tax year 2025

Filed by MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$14,573,615
Total expenses
$12,935,742
Contributions and grants received
$11,886,017
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$82,686
Investment income
$2,546,351
Other revenue
$58,561
Total assets, end of year
$17,946,012
Total liabilities, end of year
$10,787,156
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$7,158,856
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$10,381,575
Management and general expenses
$1,476,082
Fundraising expenses
$1,078,085
Program service expenses (Part III)
$10,381,575

Program services were 80.3% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $11,886,017

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $397,892

  • 2a · Program service revenue: Social Media Posts

    total $82,686 · related or exempt $82,686

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $218,278 · excluded $218,278

  • 5 · Royalties

    total $18,460 · excluded $18,460

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    securities $13,031,896

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    securities $10,703,823

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities $2,328,073

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total $2,328,073 · excluded $2,328,073

  • 11a · Other revenue: Other revenue

    total $40,101 · excluded $40,101

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $40,101

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $692,412 · program services $617,137 · management and general $67,807 · fundraising $7,468

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $5,364,282 · program services $4,781,112 · management and general $525,313 · fundraising $57,857

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $88,487 · program services $78,867 · management and general $8,665 · fundraising $955

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $1,244,141 · program services $1,108,886 · management and general $121,836 · fundraising $13,419

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $425,652 · program services $379,378 · management and general $41,683 · fundraising $4,591

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $56,455 · management and general $56,455

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $100,982 · management and general $100,982

  • 11e · Fees: professional fundraising services

    total $180,561 · fundraising $180,561

  • 11f · Fees: investment management

    total $55,288 · management and general $55,288

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $641,631 · program services $399,628 · management and general $75,314 · fundraising $166,689

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $306,362 · program services $306,362

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $169,296 · program services $86,970 · management and general $74,002 · fundraising $8,324

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $524,257 · program services $514,611 · management and general $9,274 · fundraising $372

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $1,062,531 · program services $944,773 · management and general $113,892 · fundraising $3,866

  • 17 · Travel

    total $234,893 · program services $155,641 · management and general $72,652 · fundraising $6,600

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $193,587 · program services $168,982 · management and general $24,605

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $89,119 · program services $86,980 · management and general $1,783 · fundraising $356

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $163,551 · program services $160,876 · management and general $2,675

  • 24a · Other expenses: Postage

    total $552,363 · program services $182,857 · management and general $286 · fundraising $369,220

  • 24b · Other expenses: Printing

    total $326,296 · program services $153,766 · management and general $4,524 · fundraising $168,006

  • 24c · Other expenses: Mailing Services

    total $246,310 · program services $186,581 · management and general $0 · fundraising $59,729

  • 24d · Other expenses: List Rental

    total $62,291 · program services $32,896 · management and general $2,425 · fundraising $26,970

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $154,995 · program services $35,272 · management and general $116,621 · fundraising $3,102

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $2,159,265 · end of year $1,447,603

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $419,792 · end of year $122,168

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $317,157 · end of year $200,761

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $15,921 · end of year $5,193

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $210,267 · end of year $160,311

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $841,708

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $300,071

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $624,022 · end of year $541,637

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $7,813,266 · end of year $8,919,514

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    end of year $6,548,825

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $7,190,238

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $4,058,155 · end of year $3,316,836

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $7,907,495 · end of year $7,470,320

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $4,025,853 · end of year $4,358,344

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $2,758,425 · end of year $2,800,512

Mission and programs · 2025

Mission

The Media Research Center documents and combats the falsehoods and censorship of the news media, entertainment media and big tech in order to defend and preserve America's founding principles and Judeo-Christian values.

Activities or mission (Part I)

To create a media culture in America where truth and liberty flourish.

  • News Analysis Division - brings political balance to the nation's news media by documenting and countering liberal bias from television network news shows and major print publications. Newsbusters' news archives reached over 1,035,000 hours of programming, storing important historical references that are available to anyone upon request. There were 2,182 related stories, studies, and videos produced in 2025 with over 12 million video views and 222.1 million impressions online. Newsbusters was able to educate its 2.7 million Facebook followers, nearly 250k x followers and over 3.5 million Truth Social followers about biased reporting in the media.

    Expenses $4,057,453

  • MRC Free Speech America - a movement to stop big tech censorship of conservatives. There were 594 stories, studies, and videos used to educate the MRC Free Speech America audience in 2025. In addition, there were 5.5 million video views related to free speech content and 73.2 million impressions online. MRC Free Speech America was able to reach its 815k Facebook followers and nearly 123k x followers throughout the year.

    Expenses $3,328,213

  • MRC Video - an online media platform designed to broadcast conservative values, culture, politics, liberal media bias, and entertainment to a new and diverse audience on a social media optimized sight. MRC Video educated the public with 168.4 million video views in 2025. This contributed to 504.3 million impressions online with 1.000 related stories, studies, and videos created. MRC Video was able to educate its 3.2 million Facebook followers and 97k followers on x throughout the year.

    Expenses $2,619,296

  • Youth Education and Intern Program - mentors America's youth and educates and trains students to recognize bias and the need for balanced journalism.

    Expenses $376,613

As filed on the 2025 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Karl Ottosen

    Chairman

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • William Walton

    Treasurer

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Melissa Lopez

    Secretary

    Total calculated
    $107,580
    From this org
    $85,880
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $21,700
    Hours/week
    40 + 3 related
  • Don Cooper

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Jacques Dubois

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Melissa Emery

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Seymour Fein

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Joan Holt Lindsey

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Hon Bob McEwen

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Terry Schilling

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Cameron Smith

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • David Bozell

    President/Director

    Total calculated
    $214,922
    From this org
    $214,922
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40 + 3 related

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $214,922
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $0
    Filer's total
    $214,922
  • Ed Molchany

    Chief Operating Officer

    Total calculated
    $369,909
    From this org
    $314,882
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $55,027
    Hours/week
    40 + 1 related

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $314,882
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $8,849
    Nontaxable benefits
    $46,178
    Filer's total
    $369,909
  • Eric Pairel

    VP & Chief Technology Officer

    Total calculated
    $249,288
    From this org
    $187,150
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $62,138
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $187,150
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $5,677
    Nontaxable benefits
    $56,461
    Filer's total
    $249,288
  • L Brent Bozell

    President Emeritus

    Total calculated
    $317,991
    From this org
    $297,250
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $20,741
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $297,250
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $6,563
    Nontaxable benefits
    $14,178
    Filer's total
    $317,991
  • Daniel Schneider

    VP of Free Speech America

    Total calculated
    $277,135
    From this org
    $223,082
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $54,053
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $223,082
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $6,755
    Nontaxable benefits
    $47,298
    Filer's total
    $277,135
  • Brent Baker

    VP of Research & Publications

    Total calculated
    $212,056
    From this org
    $189,554
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $22,502
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $189,554
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $5,713
    Nontaxable benefits
    $16,789
    Filer's total
    $212,056
  • Larry Gourlay

    Director of Major Gifts

    Total calculated
    $229,976
    From this org
    $222,990
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $6,986
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $222,990
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $2,666
    Nontaxable benefits
    $4,320
    Filer's total
    $229,976

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Compensation committee
  • 3 · Independent compensation consultant
  • 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

  • America Inc

    501(c)(4) · To educate Americans about traditional & contemporary American values · VA · controlled entity

    Directly controlled by Media research center

  • American Movement Foundation

    501(c)(3) · Promoting public policies which are widely supported by the American public · VA

  • American Movement Association

    501(c)(6) · Promoting public policies which are widely supported by the American public · VA

  • American Movement

    501(c)(4) · Promoting public policies which are widely supported by the American public · VA

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2025
Filed
10 September 2026
IRS schema version
2025v4.2
Source object
202642549349300544

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