Sinclair’s Weekly Worst: Hollow Condemnation
Every week Allied Progress will share a selection of Sinclair Broadcast Group’s “Must Run” segments. These are biased segments that Sinclair headquarters famously mandate that all of their 191 stations run. If Sinclair’s merger with Tribune is approved, a total of 233 stations – reaching 72 percent of American households – will be forced to air these segments every week.
Journalists at Sinclair object to their airing. Experts call them propaganda. Allied Progress watches them…so you don’t need to.
This week’s Sinclair Low-Lights…
FEATURED LOW-LIGHT: On December 7, the pro-Trump propaganda train continued. Boris Epshteyn’s ardent defense of the GOP tax bill that would add over $1 trillion to the deficit was so devoid of reality that “alternative facts” doesn’t even begin to describe it. Boris claimed that the tax bill poses “a direct benefit for Americans who are nowhere near the top 1 percent,” however both the Joint Committee on Taxation and the Congressional Budget Office say the bill will overwhelmingly benefit the rich at the expense of lower income groups.
As much as Boris tries to pull the wool over their eyes, Americans know that this bill is bad for them.
RUNNER-UP: Just two days earlier, Epshteyn took issue with biased reporting in the news media – no, not his biased reporting – particularly Brian Ross of ABC. Coming from someone who parades around on screen as a “Chief Political Analyst,” Boris is nothing but an extended member of the Trump press team delivering talking points to Sinclair’s network that will soon reach into nearly two thirds of US homes. Excuse us if his condemnation rings a little hollow.
BONUS: As much as FCC Chairman Ajit Pai favors Sinclair, he clearly isn’t impressed with what Mark Hyman has to offer. Hyman and his “must run” segments were the butt of Pai’s jokes repeatedly at last night’s Federal Communications Bar Association Dinner.
Happy Friday!