THIS IS NOT A JOKE! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! Democracy, as we know it, is severely at stake. Sinclair Broadcast Group (SBG), the largest owner of local television stations in the country, has adopted the Machiavellian tactics of Donald Trump in an attempt to turn the US into a propaganda-pushing deep state.
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To say that the US is beginning to look a lot like North Korea would be an understatement. On Monday, DEADSPIN uncovered the news that Sinclair had forced every anchor on every news broadcasting station it owns to recite, word-for-word, a corporate statement detailing “the troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country.” The fact that Sinclair is a pro-Trump, conservative-leaning company makes it clear that their concocted statement was aimed at a very specific target: legitimate journalists interested in presenting the REAL news instead of the manufactured “Fake News” Donald Trump wants them to report.
In case you’re unfamiliar with Sinclair, they are the media conglomerate responsible for running inflammatory “Terrorism Alerts” or required editorials from former Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn. They may even (unbeknownst to you) own one or more of the stations in your area. Now, they are the Russian-like or North Korean-like propaganda machine for Donald Trump. They don’t want to tell you the truth — they only want to tell you TRUMP’S version of the truth, or whatever Trump WANTS you to believe is the truth. If any of this reminds you of Vladimir Putin or Kim Jong-Un, you are spot on.
“The sharing of bias and false news has become all too common on social media. And more alarming, some media outlets publish these same fake stories without checking facts first. Unfortunately, some members of the media use their platforms to push their own personal bias and agenda to control exactly what people think. And this is extremely dangerous to our democracy.” – Sinclair Statement
As the corporate mandate was handed down, Sinclair employees mostly fell in line and did what they were instructed to do. However, not everyone was interested in being a puppet for the Trump White House.
“I try everyday to do fair, local stories, some Trump-related, but it’s always washed out by this stuff they do at a national level,” one local reporter said.
Another employee came forward to say that “as a producer who finds it unethical, I will refuse to run it.”
Other concerned Sinclair staffers said they’re most worried about how local viewers are reacting, particularly since longtime viewers have now taken to social media to express criticism toward network talent.
“I feel bad because they’re seeing these people they’ve trusted for decades tell them things they know are essentially propaganda,” one local anchor said.
Soon thereafter, others outside of Sinclair chimed in.
“This is insidious. The first key to stopping it is to call on advertisers who support this propaganda and express your objections,” tweeted media investor Peter Chernin, who was a high-ranking honcho at Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation for 2 decades.
“This is extremely dangerous to our democracy,” tweeted late night host Jimmy Kimmel.
“Let me be absolutely clear here… These MUST Run. If they do not, my job is on the line. I don’t say that to scare you by any means but I do say this so you understand how serious SBG is about this project.” – Sinclair Boss
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In response, Sinclair predictably went on the defensive:
“We aren’t sure of the motivation for the criticism, but find it curious that we would be attacked for asking our news people to remind their audiences that unsubstantiated stories exist on social media, which result in an ill-informed public with potentially dangerous consequences,” Scott Livingston, Sinclair’s senior vice president of news, said in a statement. “It is ironic that we would be attacked for messages promoting our journalistic initiative for fair and objective reporting, and for specifically asking the public to hold our newsrooms accountable. Our local stations keep our audiences’ trust by staying focused on fact-based reporting and clearly identifying commentary.”
In a successful attempt to debunk the corporate defense, DEADSPIN created a video displaying a “Stepford Wives” type moshpit of anchors reciting the Sinclair spin. Hopefully, visual proof of the propaganda we are collectively being force-fed in an attempt to control what information we hear and what information we believe will open our eyes.
WAKE UP, AMERICA! Don’t drink the Sinclair/Trump Kool-Aid!
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Home today feeling a little under the weather so please forgive me if I come across a little “off kilter.” Day-to-day temps in my neck of the woods have been all over the place and winter simply will NOT let go. First: DJ, thanks for your post on this subject. Really, this should give every American who truly loves Our country and truly appreciates Our system of democracy great pause. The moment I heard about this (yesterday) I immediate thought was – Joseph Goebbels (Hitler’s Minister of propaganda) would be so pleased to know just how right he was on so many pertinent points beginning with THIS: If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the… Read more »