Sinclair Merger Could Create “Propaganda” System for Trump as Black Media Ownership Declines
“Sinclair’s hate for Obama is rivaled only by the company’s incestuous love for Trump.” – The Root
“…Dictatorship-Style Propaganda System.” – The Atlanta Black Star
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier this year, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced its intention to merge with Tribune media, giving the company unprecedented control over local TV news in America. The controversial merger would have been illegal under the Obama administration, but the Trump administration is changing the rules to allow a massive conservative media empire to get even bigger.
According to a recent Atlanta Black Star piece, “[The proposed merger comes] amid an environment of declining Black media ownership, and fewer opportunities to own their own companies and tell their own stories.”
Sinclair has a record of forcing their stations to air, what experts have called, conservative “propaganda” masquerading as trusted local news. If approved, the company would control more than 230 local stations, including in key markets like Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Houston.
“No single company or individual should be allowed to have this kind of control over so many local TV stations. Conservatives have already used the internet and national media to spread fake news and now they’re trying to do the same with local media,” said Allied Progress Executive Director Karl Frisch. “We need federal regulators to stand up, do the right thing and reject this reckless merger.”
For more information, see the following reports from The Root and Atlanta Black Star:
- Atlanta Black Star: Is ‘Trump TV’ Providing the President with a Dictatorship-Style Propaganda System?
- The Root: Trump’s Favorite News Outlet Is Not Who You Think … and You Should Be Worried
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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