“These are local stations that advertise themselves as affiliates of ABC, CBS, NBC, and draw off the credibility of local anchors to present themselves as part of the community, with Sinclair HQ in Baltimore forcing delivery of these Trump-a-grams,” Jay Rosen, a journalism professor at New York University, wrote on Twitter.
In a series of tweets late Wednesday, the company distanced itself from Mr. Epshteyn’s segment, though it was not entirely clear whether it was referring to his commentary on the use of tear gas or a later, less-criticized segment about Twitter’s decision to ban a right-wing activist.
“The opinions expressed in this segment do not reflect the views of Sinclair Broadcast Group,” the company said. “When Boris’s segments are aired on our stations, they are labeled clearly as commentary. We also offer our stations reporting from the Beltway and beyond that are not partisan or bias in any way.”
In the subsequent segment, Mr. Epshteyn criticized Twitter for banning the right-wing activist, Laura Loomer, after she called Representative-elect Ilhan Omar of Minnesota “pro-Sharia” and “anti-Jewish,” according to Mediaite. Last year, Ms. Loomer was also banned from Uber and Lyft following several anti-Muslim tweets.
Some Sinclair employees have described the “must-run” segments as one-sided and poorly made. Last year, journalists at KOMO, a Sinclair station in Seattle, said they received reporting instructions from the company that seemed politically motivated.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/28/business/media/sinclair-broadcast-segment-trump-migrants.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Speak Your Mind
You must be logged in to post a comment.