Earlier this month,
CNN’s Brian Stelter broke the news that Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner
or operator of nearly 200 television stations in the U.S., would be
forcing its news anchors to record a promo about “the troubling trend of
irresponsible, one sided news stories plaguing our country.” The
script, which parrots Donald Trump’s oft-declarations of developments
negative to his presidency as “fake news,” brought upheaval to newsrooms
already dismayed with Sinclair’s consistent interference to bring
right-wing propaganda to local television broadcasts.You might remember Sinclair from its having been featured on John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight last year, or from its requiring in 2004 of affiliates to air anti-John Kerry propaganda,
or perhaps because it’s your own local affiliate running inflammatory
“Terrorism Alerts” or required editorials from former Trump adviser
Boris Epshteyn, he of the famed Holocaust Remembrance Day statement that
failed to mention Jewish people. (Sinclair also owns Ring of Honor
wrestling, Tennis magazine, and the Tennis Channel.)The
net result of the company’s current mandate is dozens upon dozens of
local news anchors looking like hostages in proof-of-life videos, trying
their hardest to spit out words attacking the industry they’d chosen as
a life vocation.Not that any of it matters to Sinclair, which,
with the help of a friendly federal government, is about to swallow up
another 40 television stations — increasing its reach and its lead over
competitors like Hearst and Scripps. The script, as transcribed by ThinkProgress based on the KOMO (Seattle) version, reads:Hi, I’m(A) ____________, and I’m (B) _________________…
(B)
Our greatest responsibility is to serve our Northwest communities. We
are extremely proud of the quality, balanced journalism that KOMO News
produces.(A) But we’re concerned about the troubling trend of
irresponsible, one sided news stories plaguing our country. The sharing
of biased and false news has become all too common on social media.(B)
More alarming, some media outlets publish these same fake stories…
stories that just aren’t true, without checking facts first.(A)
Unfortunately, some members of the media use their platforms to push
their own personal bias and agenda to control ‘exactly what people
think’…This is extremely dangerous to a democracy.(B) At KOMO
it’s our responsibility to pursue and report the truth. We understand
Truth is neither politically ‘left nor right.’ Our commitment to factual
reporting is the foundation of our credibility, now more than ever.(A)
But we are human and sometimes our reporting might fall short. If you
believe our coverage is unfair please reach out to us by going to
KOMOnews.com and clicking on CONTENT CONCERNS. We value your comments.
We will respond back to you.(B) We work very hard to seek the
truth and strive to be fair, balanced and factual… We consider it our
honor, our privilege to responsibly deliver the news every day.(A) Thank you for watching and we appreciate your feedback.
For a list of stations owned or operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group, check here. If you’re a Sinclair employee who has something to say — anonymity guaranteed on request — let me know or use our anonymous SecureDrop.
Know who it is you’re getting your news from.
I’m concerned this video is being shared on the internet without that added context and might even push people into being more supportive of Trump because they think it’s an attack on him from his opponents in the MSM.
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