Sinclair requiring anchors to read new promo slamming 'one-sided news stories': report

“Unfortunately, some members of the national media are using their platforms to push their own personal bias and agenda to control 'exactly what people think' ... This is extremely dangerous to our democracy."
The script then has anchors say they “understand Truth is neither politically ‘left or right.’”

Sinclair requiring anchors to read new promo slamming 'one-sided news stories': report

I know there are many here who will praise this, believing "Their side is WINNING!"

Our forefathers believed a free press, an informed populace, was an important part of a stable democracy. Sometimes referred to as the fourth leg of democracy. That institution has been under attack.

This current line of thinking that "the media" is always lying, that everything you disagree with is "fake news", is not only untrue, but is also damaging this country.

Where would we be if everyone thought the same, didn't debate ideas, accepted the official government line without question.

If winning means anyone deciding what is true and what is fake I'm against it.

News sources get things wrong sometimes, maybe even deliberately some times. But the current mindset that everyone is lying seems self destructive for our society.

a reply to: villagesmithie

To be fair, Ben Franklin was most definitely in the propaganda business when he ran his presses. The results are clear, yay Murica, but propraganda will never go away. It's as old as recorded history, because recorded.

Sinclair Broadcasting is a huge Right Wing media corporation whose been buying up stations left and right. I think they are, or were, in some kind of thing with the gov't. Maybe to do with buying so many stations?

The media is the fifth estate, just slightly below our rulers. They have been used throughout time to push an agenda. Simply by reporting on some things and not others is enough to sway opinion. They don't even have to lie outright.

I am glad that people are starting to view them with mistrust. They have been put on the pedestal long enough. Now they can earn their keep like everyone else, by fostering trust. With our limited understanding of this universe, truth will be just out of reach, as it has been for a while now.

Maybe we can learn to start thinking for ourselves and not just consume the propaganda mindlessly. I think us questioning everything is great. Times are a changing, as they need to do for us to grow.

a reply to: Swills

Absolutely. Conspiracies and fake news are part of our history. It's up to us to sort through that. I think any control by whatever authority need to be treated skeptically.

I wonder if anybody tracks which "side" the "politically biased" stories are on that they say are "neutral" ?

😉

a reply to: xuenchen

I'm sure they do, but, no one you would believe cause you wouldn't like their answer so, they must be "fake news"

a reply to: villagesmithie

I don't have a history knowing about synclair, but in the last 20 minutes they do in fact seem to have a right leaning bias and control the most TV broadcast stations in America..

They also have ties to the Trump campaign so you could see this being an open attack on cable news. A forced attack from 170 some stations.

I find cable news to be retarded, and often very fake, but forced readings like this?

Gross.

And just as dangerous to the USA.

a reply to: villagesmithie
To be fair, if there is a website that mainstream news signs in on at 4 AM Eastern and gets their talking points and the news cycle they need to drive for the day... from your waking moment to your sleeping moment....

Is that not actually fake news? Propaganda? And the same people that spoonfeed their talking points to the poor Americans waking up and trying to figure out what is going on are now saying that we should beware of fake news? LMAO

Listen to this guy, he tells the truth IMO...

truthinmedia.com...
twitter.com...

originally posted by: villagesmithie

This current line of thinking that "the media" is always lying,

Are they always lying... No ... Your right about that;

But they have gotten very sloppy and lazy in this new digital age.

They are an important part of our democracy... I just wish theyed act like it some times.

a reply to: villagesmithie

Yellow journalism has been around since Cain and Abel had a disagreement. So this is nothing new.


Free expression is paramount in any society that wants to consider itself free.

Any restriction of free speech is the antithesis of freedom.

a reply to: Springer

ATS loves him. He did a great AMA here and does have that forum for himself. What happened to that?

originally posted by: villagesmithie
a reply to: xuenchen

I'm sure they do, but, no one you would believe cause you wouldn't like their answer so, they must be "fake news"

We should be free in our expression.

That includes calling everything a person hears as bullsh#t.

originally posted by: DBCowboy

originally posted by: villagesmithie
a reply to: xuenchen

I'm sure they do, but, no one you would believe cause you wouldn't like their answer so, they must be "fake news"

We should be free in our expression.

That includes calling everything a person hears as bullsh#t.

I can give you no applause, being a newish member here and not anyone of importance.

However, I do give you the internets for the night for your post.

Don't look up unicorns and kittens or anything that has a cup in the description. There.. I helped your freedom not become an obsession.

While this commitment to fighting fake news is a great thing, the best way for the conservative Sinclair group of television stations to do this is to stop reporting biased news and to watch their own reporting for misleading or false facts. There is definitely a lot of fake news on the right. The Sinclair Group are in a unique position to make a difference when it comes to reporting fake news!

originally posted by: villagesmithie
...This current line of thinking that "the media" is always lying, that everything you disagree with is "fake news", is not only untrue, but is also damaging this country. ...

No, not the current line of thinking; the current reality.

Which ever side they happen to fall on, they are all liars and are pushing an agenda (ultimately the same agenda, IMO) that will destroy this country.

And some half-assed claim to not be doing it just underscores the reality of it all.

:

The media twists the news, the truth is often in the third or fourth paragraph, but most people can't see it. They make up their opinion reading the title and the first and second paragraph. People cannot even comprehend they are being manipulated, by both sides politically and by big corporations and organizations, including our medical industry. It does not have to come from other countries to be bad, deception is deception. There is a rule we are told to follow in school. It states "buyer beware" That applies to everything, deceit is not illegal in this country if it is done right. Otherwise they would have to build a prison for all the politicians and corporate leaders and all the people selling people things they do not need or more than they need.

Media has been deceiving people for many many years, it seems like they are almost incapable of telling the whole truth anymore. The truth is simple and unappealing and goes against what people in society want most times.

I keep hearing that today is so much worse. Not really we have the internet, we have more and faster news, but at it's heart it's always been the same. People get entrenched in there opinions and go to whatever lengths to defend them.

People like to blame the media, the politicians whoever. It's easy to blame everyone else. The thing is the world is not filled with evil people. Misled, confused, out for their own interests sure. To delude yourself that it's some kind of grand conspiracy is just an excuse to not do anything about it.

Stop and look at yourselves. Are you being honest? Are you perpetuating lies of your own? Are you really working toward solutions or looking for someone else to blame?

There was a bunch of mostly young guys that had a dream a couple hundred years back. They created a nation and left it to future generations to maintain it.

I don't think they even suggested it would be easy.

Thehill? Sinclair support, you don't say. Interesting how Sinclair gets benefits from the FFC as much as it supported the end of Net Neutrality.

FCC Chair Ajit Pai investigated for Sinclair ties, lawmakers say

Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J., and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, D-Md., requested the investigation, saying Pai and aides improperly pushed for rule changes to benefit Sinclair Broadcasting in its attempt to acquire Tribune Media.

“For months I have been trying to get to the bottom of the allegations about Chairman Pai’s relationship with Sinclair Broadcasting,” Pallone said in a statement. “I am particularly concerned about reports that Chairman Pai may have coordinated with Sinclair to time a series of Commission actions to benefit the company. I am grateful to the FCC’s Inspector General that he has decided to take up this important investigation.”

Source

originally posted by: ClovenSky
The media is the fifth estate, just slightly below our rulers. They have been used throughout time to push an agenda. Simply by reporting on some things and not others is enough to sway opinion. They don't even have to lie outright.

I am glad that people are starting to view them with mistrust. They have been put on the pedestal long enough. Now they can earn their keep like everyone else, by fostering trust. With our limited understanding of this universe, truth will be just out of reach, as it has been for a while now.

Maybe we can learn to start thinking for ourselves and not just consume the propaganda mindlessly. I think us questioning everything is great. Times are a changing, as they need to do for us to grow.

How do you think the "village idiot" got started?

Remember him running around saying what the king wanted?

Or anyone that had a fish?