| Friend,
It’s horrific enough that the Trump administration has been seizing children from their migrant parents at the border. Now the Sinclair Broadcast Group is forcing local news stations to air a segment claiming that the “liberal media” are exaggerating the situation.1
Enough is enough: Tell the FCC to stop Sinclair from forcing Trump propaganda disguised as local news into our communities.
This toxic commentary comes from former Trump spokesman Boris Epshteyn, who now works as Sinclair’s chief political analyst. Each week Sinclair’s 193 stations across the country air the hateful “Bottom Line With Boris”.
Epshteyn’s segment is a “must-run,” which means that Sinclair requires its stations to air the content even if local station managers and journalists object.
Another Sinclair “must-run” is the Terrorism Alert Desk, which stokes the fires of Islamophobia using biased reports.2
Sinclair is bad for our communities, especially people of color: Urge the FCC to stop Sinclair and let local journalists use their own voices.
What makes Sinclair so dangerous is the implicit trust we have in local news. As cable and social media are increasingly viewed with skepticism, people see local anchors as a last remaining source of fair and balanced information.3
In other words: Folks tune in to channel 3 to see what’s up with local traffic, weather, elections and schools. Scripted talking points from Team Trump are easy to mistake for real news — and can easily distort perceptions of reality.
If the FCC approves Sinclair’s merger with Tribune, the company will be able to force its segments into more than 70 percent of U.S. households at a time when we need reliable information more than ever.4
Sinclair spent this week trying to convince local viewers to take a more favorable view of the Trump administration’s inhumane zero-tolerance policy at the U.S.–Mexico border — even though a majority of people have roundly condemned what’s happening.
This is rock bottom: Add your voice to the call for the FCC to #StopSinclair today.
Free Press has issued a statement denouncing the administration’s actions at the border5 and urging our supporters to join the June 30 day of action at KeepFamiliesTogether.org.
These times demand moral courage — the kind that Sinclair leaders don’t possess. That’s why Trump’s FCC is bending rules to clear the way for the company to expand. It’s all part of the president’s authoritarian agenda.
But power still belongs to the people, and your voice can prevail at the FCC.
Together we can win.
Thanks for all that you do—
Collette, Jessica, Nilda and the rest of the Free Press team
freepress.net
P.S. Sign the petition to #StopSinclair and we’ll make sure your comments are delivered to the FCC. Stay tuned for more updates and action.
1. “Watch: Sinclair Forced Its TV Stations to Air Pro-Trump Propaganda on Family Separation,” Vox, June 21, 2018: https://act.freepress.net/go/23962?t=9&akid=9757%2E10296224%2EQfinNF 2. “Sinclair’s ‘Terrorism Alert Desk’ Segments Are Designed to Gin Up Xenophobia via Local News,” Media Matters, March 1, 2018: https://act.freepress.net/go/19804?t=11&akid=9757%2E10296224%2EQfinNF 3. “Poll: Voters Trust Local News Outlets More Than National Ones,” Morning Consult, Aug. 17, 2017: https://act.freepress.net/go/21624?t=13&akid=9757%2E10296224%2EQfinNF 4. “Trump-Friendly Company Buys Rights to Deliver Local News to 70 Percent of Households,” New York, May 9, 2017: http://act.freepress.net/go/16847?t=15&akid=9757%2E10296224%2EQfinNF 5. “We Must Take Action to End the Separation of Families,” Free Press, June 21, 2018: https://act.freepress.net/go/23642?t=17&akid=9757%2E10296224%2EQfinNF  |
