Sinclair looks to be worse than we thought

[mnmoderatedem]

Faux has heir crazy unhinged phonies, but Sinclair literally has their robots reading off a script.

[link:https://slate.com/culture/2018/04/watch-sinclair-broadcast-group-local-news-anchors-parrot-their-bosses-opinions-in-perfect-deafening-unison.html|

[still_one]

1. They were up to their necks with the swift-boating of John Kerry. Anyone who was aware about them

knew what they were

[njhoneybadger]

2. Nope, we all knew how bad it was going to be

[Soxfan58]

3. Just E-mailed my local Sinclair station

Told them I will seek my local news else where. I need to know that I am getting facts not RW propaganda

[spinbaby]

4. How do you know which is a Sinclair station?

I’d like to know which local news to watch.

[leftynyc]

6. Here ya go

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stations_owned_or_operated_by_Sinclair_Broadcast_Group

Thankfully there are none in downstate NY.

[spinbaby]

8. Thanks

That’s a station I don’t watch anyway, thank goodness.

[ryan_cats]

12. Thank you!

Thank you, nothing local although I kind of knew it based on how neutral coverage is here in Sacramento.

[Luciferous]

7. There is a list on Wikipedia

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stations_owned_or_operated_by_Sinclair_Broadcast_Group

[ancianita]

25. A visual helps, too. Looks like they're moving into the Chicago Tribune market.

[american_ideals]

16. Better to write a letter to the editor

Sinclair is a propaganda outlet. They don’t care about your emails.


But if you tell everyone about their propaganda agenda, you can weaken their influence. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper!

[Soxfan58]

21. Can't we do both?

[american_ideals]

43. Yes both! Letters to the Editor have great power

[csziggy]

42. Do local channels still have to keep copies of every piece of correspondence?

They used to have to keep every letter and a record of every call. The FCC reviewed those as part of the license renewal process.

Aha!

Complaints About Broadcast Journalism

The FCC receives a wide variety of comments and complaints about the accuracy or bias of news networks, stations, reporters or commentators in how they cover – or sometimes opt not to cover – events. Other complaints are received regarding the conduct of journalists in the gathering and reporting of news.

The FCC's authority to respond to these complaints is narrow in scope, and the agency is prohibited by law from engaging in censorship or infringing on First Amendment rights of the press. Moreover, the FCC cannot interfere with a broadcaster's selection and presentation of news or commentary.

What responsibilities do broadcasters have?

Broadcasters may not intentionally distort the news. The FCC states that "rigging or slanting the news is a most heinous act against the public interest."

What if I have comments or concerns about a specific news broadcast or commentary?

All concerns or comments about a specific news broadcast or commentary should be directed to the local station and network involved, so that the people responsible for making the programming decisions can become better informed about audience opinion.

What can the FCC do?

The FCC may act only when it has received documented evidence, such as testimony from persons who have direct personal knowledge of an intentional falsification of the news. Without such documented evidence, the FCC generally cannot intervene.
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/complaints-about-broadcast-journalism

[Deb]

5. All NY college towns should boycott local Sinclair's advertisers

Come on Buffalo, Albany, Rochester and Syracuse! This would make a difference!

[Ligyron]

9. Reads like a confession on Sinclair's part.

Pure projection. Thank Zeus there are no Sinclair stations in my area. Yet.

[Demsrule86]

11. As old folks pass...local TV news is on its way out.

[Demsrule86]

10. The only good thing is those who watch local news are dying off...I don't watch local news anymore.

My kids don't even have cable. I don't think it will have the impact they hope for.

[Guilded Lilly]

13. Scary as hell. n/t

[Le Gaucher]

14. I welcome you all to use SiriusXM.

Speaking as an employee of course 😉

[american_ideals]

15. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper

The most effective thing we can do is shed light on what Sinclair is doing. Call everyone’s attention to their propaganda agenda, which is: get votes for the GOP to cut taxes on billionaires, like Sinclair’s owners.


The best way to do that is for all of us to write letters to the editor. If you want help editing those letters, message me, I’m happy to help.

[FakeNoose]

17. Awesome idea! I hope more people do that

Letters to the editor of your local paper can raise people's awareness of Sinclair's evil stranglehold.
I guess the best way is to catch them making propaganda statements on the air as if it's "news."
Then write to your local paper and give the dates and instances of them doing it.

It's more work to do it that way, but I think the chances are good that people will agree with you.

[NewJeffCT]

18. The video makes me think

it could be an episode of Black Mirror.

[no_hypocrisy]

19. Why did the FCC allow Sinclair to purchase so many stations?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

33. Some, like WGN in Chicago, they'll buy then sell but retain a contract to manage station operations.

[47of74]

20. Yeah I try to avoid KGAN whenever possible

They’re a Sinclair operation.

[True Blue American]

22. Scarborough did a good job, showing the Anchors

All saying the same thing,word for word.

[Catherine Vincent]

35. CNN did the same this morning

How creepy was that?

[True Blue American]

37. They said

Local Anchors are very upset with reading scripts.

[Farmer-Rick]

23. The only thing that works with these neo nazi propaganda sites is attack their advertisers

That got limpballs off the air.

So, what advertisers do a lot of business with Sinclair?

I wonder if there is a list out there. There has to be some nation wide advertisers in order to keep this monopoly going. Local ads alone are not enough.

[pazzyanne]

26. Here you go:

ITT Technical Institute *
Ford Motor Company
Yahoo DSL
Isuzu
Hardees
Taco Bell
Toyota
Warner Brothers * (many Sinclair owned stations are WB stations)
Century 21
Prudential
Zigzagzone.com *
Cnn.com *
General Motors
Geico
Pepsi
Mountain Dew
Titan TV *
Iams (this one breaks my heart, I'll tell you)
Miller Lite
Ringling Brothers (coming to Lexington, KY)
Oak Express
ABC Solutions
Kentucky Lottery
Florida Lottery
NFL
Lincoln Mercury
H&R Block
Pontiac
Arby's

[Farmer-Rick]

29. Thank you

I'm emailing the first 3

[pazzyanne]

27. See the link below to the web page for the list I posted.

Good information and a very active group of commenters on the information.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2004/10/10/58759/-

[democratisphere]

24. Need to boycott advertisers of Sinclair stations and let their advertisers know it.

[Farmer-Rick]

30. If someone more social media savvy then I could put a call to action on twitter

I think there could be a good response.

[democratisphere]

32. Potentially. I don't do fakebook or Twitter-Sh'tter.

[exboyfil]

28. I wonder if you couldn't get other

news stations in the market to aggressively attack the independence of their rivals? I was thinking about that last night when I was watching NBC (KWWL) during Jesus Christ Superstar (actually the first time I have watched broadcast television since the NFL season). They ran an editorial about independent news reporting that I thought was odd. We have a Sinclair in our market which I never watch (CBS KGAN).

[randr]

31. I suggest that a return to the fairness doctrine be a part of any Democratic platform

With added teeth to deal with the cyber issues.

[47of74]

38. With trillion dollar fines for violations.

Otherwise the rich owners will see penalties as a cost of doing business.

[randr]

39. Fines don't work for the uber wealthy

A long time in prison would be my suggestion. Or we follow the Constitution and give them a death sentence for treason.

[47of74]

41. That's why I said trillion dollar fines.

I think multi trillion dollar fines would bankrupt wealthy corporations and individuals to pay them. Of course long prison sentences or capital punishment would work for me.

[redstatebluegirl]

34. If the Tribune sale is approved they will own two of the four stations in OKC.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

36. Sinclair's just doing to local broadcasting what the Koch's ALEC has been doing to local gov't.

Undermining and unduly influencing local institutions so they assist their personal goals at the national level.

As much as I hate seeing Chicago's WGN going to the dark side, it's arguably less critical here where we have at least half a dozen established local TV news outlets than when these SOBs scarf up rural stations where there's less competition AND less vibrant alternative media to both counter it and point a spotlight on it. In Chicago the media like critic Rob Feder have been all over this but I'm not sure the smaller markets can afford to do the same. The ownership rules we've had over the last 30 years aren't working. It's time (again) for a sweeping update of the communications laws.

[marlakay]

40. They are very sneaky

I had to look to see who in my are is owned by them. As it turns out its Local CBS station. I usually watch all 3 for local news but will now skip that one.

[UTUSN]

44. K&R