Pulling strings: Sinclair Broadcast's 'fake news' scandal | The Listening Post

The Sinclair Broadcast Group has come under fire following the spread of a video showing anchors at its stations across the United States reading a script criticising "fake" news stories.

Typically, the Sinclair editorials do not make much of an impact. But when Timothy Burke, a video editor in Tampa, Florida, collected 44 versions of that editorial - from 44 local news markets, and lay them side by side, allowing Americans to play them back, word for word, the effect was chilling.

The reaction was: just what is Sinclair?

Unlike Fox News, CNN and MSNBC, Sinclair does not own a national news network so its brand is not that well known. But it does own 173 local TV stations, covering 40 percent of American households. Since those channels are affiliated with national broadcasting brands, ABC, NBC and CBS - they display those logos rather than their parent company's.

Up until now, Sinclair sent editorials from the company's headquarters in Maryland that their channels were required to broadcast. Typically, the so-called "must runs" are fronted by a Sinclair executive, Boris Epshteyn, who worked on Donald Trump's election team.

According to Dana Floberg, a policy analyst at Free Press, "There's something particularly treacherous about taking these words from Sinclair's corporate headquarters and putting them in the mouths of journalists who are trusted to the point that now audiences can't tell whether or not the information they're consuming actually comes from these local journalists that they trust, or if there's a giant conservative corporate Goliath pulling the strings."

And the Goliath wants to grow.

Sinclair has a $3.9bn merger deal in place with Tribune Media which would land Sinclair another 42 local TV stations - including in major markets like New York, Chicago and Washington - boosting its reach from 40 percent of American homes to more than 70 percent.

According to John Nichols, national correspondent for The Nation, "What's happened with Sinclair is actually really good. It's great that we have seen this thing happen with all the anchors reading the same lines across the country. Because we've had a real-life example of what we should be afraid of."

Contributors:
Timothy Burke, video director, Deadspin
Dana Floberg, policy analyst, Free Press
John Nichols, national correspondent, The Nation
Helaine Olen, journalist

[JuwanBuchanan]

This is terrifying af. And the rabbit hole only gets deeper.

[Jose]

In 1983, 50 companies of the 90% of the media. In 2016, 6 companies own the same 90%.

[edwardramirez]

“Local journalist” more like local actors.

[coolchoicebro]

This clip alone OPENED MANY AMERICAN EYES 👀

[shazmanbound]

"They Live" a great movie that has become reality.

[tommygvideo]

This is true with ALL media today...National and local

[calvins]

And of course they're blaming it on Sinclair and acting like it's not the NSA or another branch of government That's telling them to do it

[HELLEKSONART]

I wouldn't call them Conservative. She is quite wrong there.

[larryb]

Boycot Sinclair stations, contact thier advertizers local and national, and tell them you are boycotting thier products until they force Sinclair to retract fake news on local stations. Share this!

[pitolove]

The Journalists ALL Play for the SAME Elite Owners...

[waynebrewer]

This is the most terrifying thing I've seen in my 45 years.

[johnwitte]

Creepy. DO NOT GIVE AWAY YOUR 2nd AMENTMENT

[petersmithyy]

When trump said " fake news", he wasn't kidding.

[MisterHeroman]

"Threat to our democracry" is a favorite line of Al Jazeera, CNN, and MSNBC tho.

[jstevensn]

They blaming trump for what they've all been doing for decades ?

[jessiescholten]

Did they just use propaganda to fight propaganda?

[awesomeman]

If Donald Trump had to do with any of this, how come none of them stick up for him?

[nattijeff]

I have been awake since 2013. Thanks for joining me. I sometimes feel like I have no one to talk to.

[alkeryn]

if you think anything changed, you are a fool, they still read a script they are just more careful at making it a little different.

[crash]

I'd like to know how they're blaming conservatives for this....