Sinclair: Dangerous to Our Democracy
By Sue Sitton
Our constitution protects our right
to a free and open press. Do we take it
for granted and forget that freedom of the press is at the core of our
democracy? Are we at risk of losing it? Does the merger of Sinclair Broadcast Group
and Tribune Media change the landscape of free and open press as we know
it? Sinclair has a practice of mandating their TV
news stations to be less independent and to run “required segments” that have a
conservative, Pro-Trump view. This is
not journalism; this is propaganda.
Freedom of the Press?
Sinclair
has been in the news off and on since May 2017 when they announced their intent
to buy Tribune Media. At that time, it
was not allowed because the FCC would not allow a single organization to own
more than 34% of the market. Problem
solved … right? No. The Trump-controlled FCC changed the
threshold to 74%. That allowed Sinclair
to fit nicely under the new rule.
Recently,
Sinclair became the spotlight of most news reporting and social media. A “mashup” video that went viral (8 million
views in 3 days) showed a montage of 73 Sinclair news affiliates from across
the country. SInclair mandated their anchors
to perform the exact same script in almost robotic form. The message was to
warn of the dangers of “fake news” in language that echoes Trump’s rhetoric. Some have referred to it as the “hostage
video”. John Oliver describes the journalists as sounding like members of a
brainwashed cult. Is this what state-controlled
media looks like?
Andy Kroll of Mother Jones reported that
“Sinclair has been widely criticized for its close ties to the White House.
It’s [sic] chairman and former CEO, David Smith, is
active in Republican politics and supported Donald Trump’s campaign. The
network’s chief political analyst, Boris Epshteyn, served as a senior adviser
to Trump’s presidential campaign. During the 2016 campaign, Sinclair reportedly
struck a deal with the Trump campaign to give it better media coverage.”
Sinclair
Broadcast Group has been described as “Fox on steroids.” Like Fox, corporate executives armed with far-right
political agendas dictate the message and product presented on their news affiliates.
Affiliates are mandated to air
commentary created and presented by Boris Epshteyn and other far-right, Trumpian propaganda
messengers.
Currently
Sinclair owns about 173 stations that reach about 40% of U.S. households. If Sinclair is successful and buys the
Tribune, they will own over 220 stations that reach 72% of U.S. households.
Had
Enough of Trump’s spewing propaganda and fake news in the media? The mute button helps with this problem. What about Fox cable “news”? We can avoid the Fox anchors’ extreme rhetoric
and fake news; just don’t watch it.
But
what happens when political Trumpian propaganda enters your home through a trusted
local news station like WGN? These
anchors are local and they report on stories about our neighbors. We have a a different relationship with them than
with national anchors. Sinclair is not
referenced. We see the station’s call-letters
(e.g., WGN) and the familiar faces of our local news.
Does
anyone remember the reaction in Chicago when Jerry Springer was hired to give
commentary on WMAQ News? Viewers were
outraged. Carol Marin and Ron Magers
both quit in protest. Yes, those were
simpler times with a lesser threat.
Carol and Ron were standing up for journalistic integrity.
As a
final thought, Dan Rather Tweeted “News anchors looking into camera and reading
a script handed down by a corporate overlord, words meant to obscure the truth
not elucidate it, isn’t journalism. It’s
propaganda. It’s Orwellian. A slippery slope to how despots wrest power,
silence dissent, and oppress the masses.”
Take
this seriously and stay informed. A free
and independent press is critical to our democracy.
