NEW REPORT: How Sinclair’s Partisan Political Agenda Threatens America’s Local News
Allied Progress Releases Extensive Report Detailing Nearly Two Decades of Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Partisan and Misleading News Reporting
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REPORT
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Allied Progress released a new report detailing Sinclair Broadcast Group’s troubling track record with the truth. The report, titled “Partisan Pablum: How Sinclair’s Political Agenda Threatens the Quality Local Journalism Consumers Trust,” spans a period of nearly two decades and chronicles dozens of incidents where Sinclair produced partisan, agenda-driven and misleading programming – sometimes even coming under legal fire for its dishonest and unethical content.
“Sinclair is in the business of promoting misinformation. This company is not an objective news organization – it is a political operation run by a single family with the goal of taking their partisan agenda into every living room in America,” said Karl Frisch, executive director of Allied Progress.
He continued, “Sinclair has established a clear record of injecting politics into local programming. Now the company wants to expand its reach into nearly two-thirds of U.S. households by merging with Tribune. Such an agenda is not in the public interest. It is just one of the many reasons the Federal Communications Commission should reject Sinclair’s attempt to establish the largest local television news monopoly in American history.”
Highlights from the Allied Progress Report:
- Sinclair executives ordered news anchors at local stations to run pro-Bush editorials following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, despite local anchors’ concerns about political objectivity.
- Sinclair relentlessly pushed its agenda during the tenures of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, but with Trump, that effort is on steroids.
- Sinclair fired its DC bureau chief after he spoke out against an anti-John Kerry documentary that the company planned to air just before the 2004 presidential election.
- Sinclair was fined by the FCC for “willfully and repeatedly” violating broadcast rules.
- Sinclair requires all affiliates to air “must-run” segments featuring former Trump official Boris Epshteyn.
- Sinclair chief executive David Smith claimed that “ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the media is left of center” and that “there are two companies doing truly balanced news today: Sinclair and Fox.”
- CLICK HERE to read about these examples and dozens of others.
Background on the Sinclair-Tribune Merger:
On June 26, Sinclair Broadcast Group filed paperwork with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officially announcing its intent to purchase Tribune Media, marking a key step in a massive planned takeover of Tribune’s 42 local news stations. If the merger succeeds, Sinclair would own a staggering 233 television stations across the country with monopolistic control over local news reaching 72 percent of American households.
Sinclair, known for its conservative slant, has garnered headlines for forcing local stations to air politically motivated editorials ahead of elections, cutting a deal with Jared Kushner to give the Trump campaign special treatment in its coverage, and most recently has been seen as a potential home for embattled conservative media stars like Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity. In July, Politico reported that Sinclair was “increasing the ‘must-run’ segments across its affiliates featuring former Trump White House official Boris Epshteyn to nine times a week.”
To speak with Karl Frisch about the Sinclair-Tribune merger, please contact Tucker Middleton at 202-644-8526 or tucker@alliedprogress.org.
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