Aditi Dholakia
Dozens of supposedly objective, unbiased news stations parroted an identical message on television at the behest of their corporate owners. A scenario that would fit flawlessly into any mediocre young adult dystopian novel has, in fact, played out in real time.
Last month, several local television stations and news affiliates across the nation, all owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, aired the same eerily rehearsed message condemning supposed fake news and “the troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country.” The message received support from Donald Trump, who tweeted out his encouragement of Sinclair’s message.
“The sharing of biased and false news has become all too common on social media,” the message stated, reflecting the Trump administration’s cries of fake news. Ironically, the right-wing-supported message went on to say that “some members of the media use their platforms to push their own personal bias,” which is, apparently, “extremely dangerous to our democracy.”
When the messages initially aired, few noticed the way that anchors were spouting what was clearly an identical script handed down from Sinclair to a number of their local news affiliates and television stations. It wasn’t until Timothy Burke, a video editor at Deadspin, read an article in CNN about anchors who felt uncomfortable reading the message on air, leading him to compile a video of all the messages airing simultaneously, that the rest of America became aware of the phenomenon.
Sinclair Broadcasting Group is known for being a right-leaning corporation, and is currently the largest owner of TV stations in the United States of America. The company owns 173 stations in 81 cities across the nation, including seven stations in North Carolina. Two of these stations are in Raleigh — WLFL, the CW Network affiliate, and WRDC, a MyTV affiliate — but neither station has its own news broadcast, and thus did not air Sinclair’s message.
North Carolina candidates for political office have also publicly refused to broadcast campaign advertisements on any Sinclair-owned television affiliate. Ken Romley, a Democrat running for office in North Carolina second congressional district, which includes part of Wake County, announced on Tuesday that he will not run any ads on Sinclair-owned networks. Linda Coleman, a democratic N.C. legislator, announced on Wednesday that her campaign will do the same as Romley’s.
U.S. Congressman David Price (D) from North Carolina’s fourth congressional district is in the process of developing legislation that, if passed, would stop Sinclair from merging with Tribune Broadcasting. The merger would lead to Sinclair owning more than 200 stations across the country, this allowing them an iron grip on the local television network monopoly in this country.
Accurate, representative, thoughtful coverage of news around the nation has seldom been more important than it is today. We are currently living in an age rife with misinformation, misdirection and extreme bias and partisanship, which not only affects the way we receive information, but also affects the way our thoughts and opinions as citizens are shaped and further implemented in our lives.
It is true that there is no such thing as complete objectivity in a human world. Human beings are incapable of being truly and completely unbiased — this, paired with our ability to critically view and think about our experiences, makes us as humans a formidable, unique population. However, there is a difference between having and displaying bias in individual instances and near-mindlessly parroting the message of a corporate monopoly. The former is natural; the latter is dystopian, and the true threat to our democracy.
The message aired across the nation on Sinclair Broadcasting Group’s television stations was not only a gross abuse of corporate power, but also a foreboding glimpse at what our future as a nation could be like if people continue to fall in line with propaganda messages without critical thought or education.
The most important part of upholding a democracy is having a well-informed electorate. The press is one of the most vital avenues through which an electorate is informed and educated. The moment any part of the press compromises their dedication to providing accurate and representative information is when a democracy begins to crumble.