Sinclair Forced Its Local Stations to Discredit Outrage Over Family Separation

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Daily Intelligencer


By
Eric Levitz
@EricLevitz

June 21, 2018
5:34 pm

Sinclair Broadcasting Group is the largest owner of local television news stations in the United States. It currently airs original programming on 193 channels throughout the country, enough to reach 39 percent of all American homes. By next year, it will likely reach 72 percent.

The company is also owned by a longtime Republican donor, and proudly operates as a platform for conservative propaganda. Sinclair formally promised to provide favorable coverage to Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign (in exchange for access to the GOP nominee). Since the mogul’s election, the media giant has forced all of its affiliates to air commentary that advances White House talking points.

Thus, this week, local news channels around the country informed their viewers that dishonest liberals were trying to fool them into thinking that the Trump administration had been separating migrant children from their families, in a heinously cruel bid to deter refugees from seeking asylum in the United States.

“Our immigration system is undeniably broken and the discourse around this topic is toxic,” former Trump spokesman Boris Epshteyn explained on 193 differnt local news stations this week. “A perfect illustration of these facts is the recent firestorm surrounding President Trump’s decision to enforce a ‘zero tolerance’ policy and prosecute all adults illegally crossing our borders. Many members of the media and opponents of the president have seized on this issue to make it seem as if those who are tough on immigration are somehow monsters. Let’s be honest: While some of the concern is real, a lot of it is politically driven by the liberals in politics and the media.”

Read more: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/06/sinclair-broadcasting-group-local-news-stations-attack-critics-of-family-separation-boris-epshteyn.html

[Moostache]

1. They can all rot in hell together...

Fuck Sinclair.
Fuck Murdoch.
Fuck Boris.
Fuck Trump.
Fuck the little Trump minions.

I hope that they all suffer hideous deaths, filled with pain, suffering and the kind of deterioration that makes your loved ones cringe when they have to visit you before you die.

[Initech]

30. +100000000000000000000!!!

Fuck them all!

[FiveGoodMen]

32. We have to make that hell for them.

There's no final justice waiting for them once they die.

[turbinetree]

2. You think its time this coming November to bring back the Fairness Doctrine

I think so, this country has enough propaganda owners in the media ..................

[They_Live]

13. yes and Glass Steagal n/t

[turbinetree]

14. And the Sherman Anti-Trust Act

[PatrickforO]

24. In my state, I am going to work for adding two things to the platform:

1. A new Fairness Doctrine, and

2. Force changes in corporate charters to expand fiduciary responsibility beyond shareholder earnings, and including workers, consumers and the environment.

Number two would make things better pretty quickly, if it was enforced, because when we hear of 'evil corporations' doing this or that, hurting the environment, or busting a union, or continuing to sell something to consumers they know is dangerous. If fiduciary responsibility were broadened in this way it might educate a whole generation of new MBAs that take a new consciousness of corporate citizenship into industry.

I don't know, though...sometimes this really gets me down. I posted a heartfelt OP earlier - this morning in fact - that promised the people on DU that I would do everything in my power after Dems have retaken the government to ensure these awful criminals are held accountable for crimes against humanity. Lewandowski, Trump, Kirsten whatever her name is and all the rest, including the ICE agents who did NOT resign in the face of these immoral orders need to answer for these atrocities. It was ignored, pretty much, and got four replies.

Then I found a friend is in hospice, dying of inoperable and painful cancer. I saw Melania's jacket, read more articles. Wept.

We are better than this, people.

[turbinetree]

31. Yes we are...................

and when two major media outlets and a couple of others, like Sinclair and Fox, OAN, spew out disinformation and are allowed to get away with out any fines, and to question there license to operate, something is wrong.
What was amazing is the FCC allowed RT to get a license knowing full well that it was and is an arm of the Russian state misinformation FSB, GRU intelligence program, and right now if you have a dish receiver they are on there-------------------why.

And as for the witch(s) in the white house, she is nobody and should be treated as one, she doesn't care, she knew what she was doing, if she cared one iota she would have left the malignant jerk a longtime ago, its about the money and the pre-nupt if she has one which I doubt..............the taxpayers got charged over 200,000 for her to go to Texas, and then she read a script and asked really stupid questions, and I mean stupid......................and then there is the normalization by the media.......some are realizing finally that they cannot normalize.

All I know is , is that I am going to get people to register to vote, and like Malcolm Nance said it is imperative that we take back control of voting and our government functions..........................and to take the Louis Powell doctrine and get it out of government.

http://law2.wlu.edu/powellarchives/page.asp?pageid=1251


Hang in there and as for your friend, love them

[mehrrh]

3. they're growing

Sinclair is buying the Chicago WGN-radio/TV, which covers a large swath of broadcast area throughout the midwest. The platform for them to fill the minds of mid-America with lies and propaganda is widening.

[dhill926]

19. now that really sucks....

grew up with WGN....

[lunasun]

28. When WGN News goes zombie robot it's over . I couldn't stand to watch inserts from Sinclair added

I've caught local tv news stations when traveling in othe US cities and absolute horror RW insert on screen wtf that ain't local opinion or real American attitudes
Happy to come home to Chicago and local here is WGN . They are going to fire those election political analysts for sure. They were actually sort of balanced and reflective with questions on election nights
We still have a good PBS tv station with local news and political discussion but it doesn't reach as wide to as many as WGN's

[Scurrilous]

4. @#$% liberal media!

[Iliyah]

5. And when the USA goes into a depression and sin sin clair

money dries up then what?????????????

[PaulX2]

6. Hitler Had Help Too

What can we do?

[AlexSFCA]

7. they are buying local stations that people have trusted

it’s challenging, younger folks dont watchuch tv, it’s all mobile, net neutrality is big for them. Will they be trying to take over internet providers too?

[Iliyah]

8. Yes.

[beachbum bob]

9. I have seen this first hand the local station, going to pen a letter

To the local manager saying we are organizing a boycott of all their local advertisers...

[rockfordfile]

10. Boris Epshteyn pro Putin pos.

[elmac]

11. I think it was clearchannel

tht had a memo to their stations during the Iraq war banning the playing of old war protest songs. This kind of crap goes on all the time.

[mwooldri]

22. They had a list of "not to play" during and after Sept 11, 2001.

But AFAIK it was not a ban. Stations will alter their programming at times. I don't recall a ban on anything in Iraq War times.

[BigmanPigman]

12. Propaganda by big $$$$$$$ has killed our politics

since the Fairness Doctrine was overturned. They should the first thing Dems change when they are in control. We need unbiased information. The "fake news" BS has everyone's head screwed on backwards and no one can tell which way is "up" anymore.

[maxrandb]

15. This right wing propaganda shit

Needs to be torn down to the fucking studs and smashed to fucking bits.

[dlk]

16. Time to Change the FCC Station Ownership Rules--Americans Own the Airwaves to Begin With

We are paying a dear price for this propaganda in the name of profits and extremism.

[aggiesal]

17. If this is true, ...

then their FCC license should be revoked.
Plain & simple.

[Wednesdays]

26. tRump and the GOP-owned government: "You and what army?" eom

[procon]

18. "...proudly operates as a platform for conservative propaganda."

That warning should be permanently displayed on the screen to alert viewers that they are being brainwashed with fake right wing news.

[SammyWinstonJack]

20. "And when you trust your television, what you get is what you got.

Cause when they own the information, Oh they can bend it all they want".

[EndGOPPropaganda]

21. End GOP propaganda

If you’re incensed join me. we’re trying to break through the right wing media bubble with signs and tshirts.
https://weprotectthetruth.com/products/follow-truth-seeking-media-avoid-propaganda-high-quality-t-shirt
See main page for other shirts.
We use purchase cost to buy shirts to give away. Or msg me for code to get the $10 DU discount. We just want people to wear them. The propaganda machine is the only reason this president is around.

[Clarity2]

23. If I were a sane republican

and I heard that, my bs radar would go off as soon as the word liberal was used, and I would notice an immediate biased slant.

So while its propaganda, its not very effective propaganda. Because these people are just too stupid to make a case for anything. They are just not bigly smart. This is something the core base would fall for, and well, they are hopeless.

So far, I dont think I have sinclair owned local stations in my area....

[47of74]

25. Here in Iowa I think guys like Conrad Johnson would have died of shame...

...if they had seen what Sinclair had done to KGAN.

KGAN is the absolute last place on Earth I would go for news now.

[Hassler]

29. Sinclair owns three of the four stations in Eugene. Fuck them.