Sinclair Broadcast Group fires back at criticism

The biggest owner of local TV stations in the country is fighting back after criticism over its anchors being forced to read scripts on air promoting a pro-Donald Trump-like agenda. CNN's Brian Stelter reports.

[deicidusoptimus]

“But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”
― George Orwell, 1984

[axelcrime]

This looks like a futuristic movie where mind control exists. I'm starting to think it actually does. People can't be this stupid/blind...

[longhornfanforever]

See what Trump has started. I have never seen so much BS from one President. You to have remember he brings all this crap on his own. It's ridiculous. Makes me very angry. Never saw Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush II, Obama slam the media the way he has.

[jeffsmith]

Everybody smile, read the script and no one gets hurt.

[ralphcanfield]

We need to boycott the products that are advertising on these trumped stations

[leeeunhae]

John Oliver had covered this Sinclair thing back in 2017. Why only now ppl realize? Sheeez

[jbel]

I smell BS. They just got caught and are explaining their actions afterward.

[DiscoveryNewsNow]

The idea that your going to work as a news anchor and but be controlled by a corporation is laughable. Of course they're going to held captive to the views of their owners. This is common sense and a nonsense story.

[arxidiaxarxidiax]

"We are focused on fact-based reporting."
Greatest joke I've heard all year(right next to US politics.)

[retiredguyadventures]

Sinclair Broadcast Group = faux noise wanna be

[Uhlersoth]

At least now that this is out in the open, local news stations might have the courage to refuse to recite scripts given to them by Sinclair if they decide that's not the course they want to take. It's a little harder to punish them if there's a public critical eye on the practices of that company.

[RM-rgqm]

Won’t this back fire majorly on CNN. After all, this has been a staple of broadcast journalism for a few decades. In fact, whether it is one script for one broadcast like cnn vs one script cast over several outlets. CNN for all its funky stuff for damn long it is nearly unwatchable even on YouTube. Truthfully so is fox. They are two sides of the same very problematic coin. This is just the very burnt pot calling the kettle black.

[xCaptxCrunchx]

*MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE. SINCLAIR BROADCASTING HAS DRUNK THE KOOL-AID. SINCLAIR BROADCASTING HAS LEFT THE BUILDING. THAT IS ALL.*

[contentofcharacter]

How is pro truth pro Trump? Are you saying that false narratives are specifically anti-Trump?

[warpedjaffas]

Propaganda is in no way "focused on fact-based reporting", it is what it is, propaganda.

[vanessaowiredu]

humm.. slowly becoming an autocracy!..COMPROMISING THE PRESS. Trump needs to go asap

[lorettanh]

Seems like this video was made as a form of "damage control"

[Soothsayer-rsnb]

If you read the statement and why didn’t cnn provide it???? Hmmm. There is nothing wrong with it!

[JCooK]

This has been going on well before trump, Conan O'Brian did segments on this.

[ExtremePacifist]

The associated press and reuters deliver whatever story or message they choose, to millions of local newspapers and tv stations and they run them on there websites and social media platforms too. this is how propaganda works, and it works too well.