Friday, July 14, 2017

Save local news from being merged into the conservative news conglomerate

Have you heard about the big, awful merger that could kill local news as we know it? The conservative news outlet Sinclair Broadcast Group has been gobbling up local news stations for years, and now it’s going for the big prize -- Tribune Media Company.

Sinclair is known for forcing all its stations to air “must-run” segments of conservative political commentary. Sinclair is even considered a potential home for former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly.

But don’t just take my word for it -- listen to what comedian John Oliver had to say about the merger when he dedicated an episode of his show to Sinclair and this awful deal.

If this merger goes through, Sinclair would own 233 local news stations reaching an unprecedented 72% of American households. No media company should be allowed to own this many local stations -- especially one that’s violated the public trust as often as Sinclair.

During the 2016 election, Sinclair was exposed for its political editorializing and offering the Trump campaign favorable coverage after it struck a deal with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. People turn to their local news for quality, unbiased reporting -- but that’s just not the way Sinclair does business. If this merger goes through, Americans can expect to see their local news get more biased and political.

- Tucker Middleton, Allied Progress

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