and from PAC, individual and soft money donors to political parties, as reported to the Federal Election Commission. The anchor of the evening newscast, Laurel Staples, read a statement that said, in part, NBC Montana takes pride in reporting only verifiable facts from an independent, reliable sources., New York has learned that KECI news director Julie Weindel was called by NBC News to see if KECI would cover the story or had any footage of the Gianforte incident that NBC News and its affiliates could use. In 2015, Sinclair gave discredited former CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson her own show to air on Sinclairs stations. When it comes to political money, Sinclair-related contributions have generally skewed Republican for more than two decades with some notable exceptions, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of campaign finance data from the Federal Election Commission and nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. Thank you. To figure this out, we are in desperate need of a real-time database for super PAC spending,along with transparency on which media and platform owners fund lobbyists. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time. For the 2016 election cycle, Sinclairs PAC made $82,375 in donations to federal candidates. His Bottom Line with Boris segments already air three times a week, but will now triple in frequency, featuring a mix of his political commentary as well as talk backs with local stations and interviews with members of Congress. Circa News, an online outlet bought by Sinclair in 2015, has become a favorite of Sean Hannity among other Fox News personalities, along with far-right troll Mike Cernovich and Donald Trump Jr., with what critics claim is a stealthy emphasis on right-leaning, Trump-friendly content, according to The Daily Beast. Archived post. And while most users found no faults with the story, they did notice that the accompanying photo that of civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson was not at all an accurate representation of the facts. The message includes a disclaimer that donations are voluntary, and that employees will not be punished for not donating. Saying that Mr. Obamas supporters had sent 93,000 e-mails to the Sinclair broadcasting company for carrying the advertisement, Tommy, a campaign spokesman, said, Other stations that follow Sinclairs lead should expect a similar response from people who dont want the political discourse cheapened with these false, negative attacks. [The New York Times, 8/27/08], Sinclair Gave Conservative Conspiracy Theorist Sharyl Attkisson Her Own Show. NEXTGEN Broadcast, also known as ATSC 3.0, offers innovative new features to enhance and expand your broadcast viewing experience. we are sinclair We believe Sinclair Broadcast Group's people are our most important asset. Oliver also noted that Epshteyn attacked CNN for its coverage of Trump and that Sinclair affiliates aired a 25-minute attack on Obama in 2010. A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. they actually represent two-year periods. Even after the initial tweet was taken down, however, users began to come across other unrelated KBOI stories that shared this photo of McKesson at a protest rally. Some of their giving has been to Democrats, mostly for state and local races in Maryland. Data for the current election cycle was released by the Federal Election Commission on OpenSecrets Following the money in politics. CNN in March reported that some anchors and news staffers felt uncomfortable with Sinclairs fake news campaign, which seemed to parrot the frequent fake news rants of Trump. Sinclair Broadcasting and Nexstar executives give to the National Association of Broadcasters. The New York Times reported that Sinclair is trying to pull strings within the Trump administration for a favorable outcome. NEW . As always, we want to thank those of you who have contributed to the PAC in the past and encourage you to give again this year, wrote David Amy, who chairs the PAC and is a Sinclair vice chairman. A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization, 1100 13th Street, NW, Suite 800 Eligible employees were encouraged to contribute to the broadcaster's political action committee. 11/30/22 2:13 PM EST, Article Transparency is what journalists and journalism have long been about. A Sinclair Affiliate Used APhoto Of Black Lives Matter Activist DeRay McKesson In Relation To Stories He Had Nothing To Do With. {mosads}Please take the time to evaluate the importance that the Sinclair PAC can have towards benefiting our company and the needs of the industry as a whole, reads the solicitation letter fromDavid Amy, the vice chairman of Sinclair and chairman of the PAC. Programming includesBuffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, SG-1, Outer Limits and Farscape. [M]uch of the reporting about Sinclair in recent months has been irresponsible and much of it is just plain false, Livingston wrote in the memo. In July, Sinclair announced it was increasing the must-run segments across its affiliates featuring former Trump White House official Boris Epshteyn to nine times a week, according to Politico. Wash. Post: Sinclairs Stations Have Been Used To Attack Democrats Or To Boost Republicans. The Washington Post reported in 2014 that after Sinclair purchased Washingtons ABC affiliate WJLA-TV, the channel took a subtle but noticeable turn to the right. The Post added that Sinclairs stations have been used to attack Democratic candidates or to boost Republicans, and on the eve of 2012 presidential elections, Sinclair stations in several battlegrounds states aired a corporate-produced half-hour news special that criticized then-President Barack Obama and his policies. How America's largest local TV owner turned its news anchors into soldiers in Trump's war on the media: https://t.co/iLVtKRQycL pic.twitter.com/dMdSGellH3. Free States mission is to provide the federal government, along with state and local agencies, a full suite of targeted digital marketing and advertising solutions to help government agencies communicate with the American public effectively and efficiently. NewsON is the nations largest aggregator of local news content. We are an employer of choice in the broadcast industry. Then, in 1848, the "Fond-Gillarde" gallery, which cut the siderite vein after 160m, was dug. Sinclair's size, rightwing politics and close connections to Donald Trump's White House are starting to attract attention. From the May 25 New York magazine article: Last night, Montana residents who tuned into their NBC affiliate, KECI, would not have heard the now infamous audio of Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs being roughed up by GOP congressional candidate Greg Gianforte. Sinclair stations aired five such interviews with Clinton running mate Tim Kaine and two with Chelsea Clinton but none with Clinton or another top surrogate. She owns The Atlantic, could still be the largest shareholder of Disney/ABCand funds many digital news nonprofits through the American Journalism Project, which her Emerson Collective helped to create. Full transparency of political funding allows journalists to hold newsroom and social media platform owners to account. [The Daily Beast, 7/12/17]. Sinclair Broadcast Group, the country's largest operator of local television stations, is in the process of buying Tribune Media. Staffers at KOMO in Seattle and other Sinclair stations chipped in donations to the group a gesture of goodwill to partly make up for the lost $25,000. George Soros, a major donor to Wikipediawho funds many new digital media outlets through his Open Society Foundation (see our nonprofit U.S. Media Index), gave $3,679,800. Full Measure is an award-winning, weekly national news program, focused on investigative, original, and accountability reporting. The station has also begun to carry pieces produced by Sinclairs Washington bureau about national issues and federal programs. If . The company is currently awaiting federal approval of a proposed $3.9 billion buyout of Tribune Media, which would add 42 more local television . Skip to Navigation; . [The Washington Post, 12/22/16]. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Washington, Afsaneh Beschloss, NPR Board of Directors, gave $614,300. and our 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. The Washington Post reported in 2014 that Sinclair and its executives have been consistent financial contributors to Republican candidates. [The Washington Post, 9/16/14]. Sinclair Broadcast Group has taken upon itself the noble ambition of teaching Americans about democracy. Sinclair Broadcast Group. Romneys record received less scrutiny. Individual donors gave Individual donors gave 41 large ($200+) contributions to Sinclair Broadcast Group PAC in the 2015-2016 election cycle. Public Integrity doesnt have paywalls and doesnt accept advertising so that our investigative reporting can have the widest possible impact on addressing inequality in the U.S. Our work is possible thanks to support from people like you. What are the details of Sinclair's expansion plans? Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue, gave $6,000. ", A viral video compilation of local TV anchors is raising new concerns about the way Sinclair Broadcast Group mixes news with conservative, partisan political opinion. Sinclair Broadcast Group, American telecommunications conglomerate, one of the largest television-station operators in the United States. 20005. Sinclair, either directly or through its venture subsidiaries, makes equity investments in strategic companies. A glaring exception to this evenhanded approach can be found at Sinclair Broadcasting Group, which recently endured a firestorm of negative publicity for ordering its 62 television stations to air a documentaryjust days before the electioncritical of Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry. The outlet also noted that Epshteyn reliably parrots the White House's point of view on most issues in his segments, such as claiming former FBI Director James Comey's testimony on Capitol Hill was more damaging to Hillary Clinton and former Attorney General Loretta Lynch than to the president. From the July 10 article: Even while under fire for requiring its outlets to run conservative content, Sinclair Broadcast Group is increasing the must-run segments across its affiliates featuring former Trump White House official Boris Epshteyn to nine times a week, the company confirmed on Monday. President Trumps tweet dismissing opposition to Sinclairs destruction of local news shows how big media uses its money and power to influence our elected officials, said former FCC commissioner and Common Cause adviser, Michael Copps, in a statement. We want to support them and their efforts toensurea smooth repack that doesnt require any broadcaster to go off air for any period of time We need allies in Congress who understand the role of local television and who are willing to defend it in todays ever-changing landscape.. No surprise, Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan collectivelygave over $2.5 million, mostly to Republicans. See the details. (2000) La mine de Pierre Rousse, Commune de Vizille, Isre. While its not uncommon for media executives to donate to political candidates and committees, its often taboo if not against company rules altogether for working journalists to make political contributions. This has most clearly come in election seasons, with stations being used to attack Democratic candidates or to boost Republicans: On the eve of the 2012 election between Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, for example, Sinclair stations in several battlegrounds states aired a corporate-produced half-hour news special that criticized Obamas handling of the economy, his signature health-care law and the administrations management of the terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Contributions by Source of Funds Sinclair Broadcast Group Affiliates i Cycle: 2020 Showing 1 to 3 of 3 entries Contributions to 527s are not included in the Individuals, PACs, Soft (Indivs), or Soft (Orgs) columns, so the sum of these columns may not equal the Total column. A Sinclair executive lashed out at criticism of Sinclair in an internal memo, according to Politico. [PR Newswire, 4/17/17]. Fuck Ajit Pai According to the Center for Responsive Politics (Open Secrets), the Sinclair Broadcast Group has donated $1,143,508 or 80% to Republican candidates since 1994. Transparency matters. Drive Auto is the automotive marketing division of Sinclair, offering advertising tools, technology, and expert marketing guidance for auto dealers of all sizes. The Sinclair broadcasting company says it's in talks with Tribune Media on how to overcome regulatory hurdles to its $3.9 billion deal to buy Tribune's 42 TV stations. A Trump spokesman said the deal included the interviews running across every affiliate but that no money was exchanged between the network and the campaign. Kushner said the agreement with Sinclair, which owns television stations across the country in many swing states and often packages news for their affiliates to run, gave them more access to Trump and the campaign, according to six people who heard his remarks. Frederick Smith, who runs the billion dollar Sinclair media empire that once offered to do anything for Trump, must not have meant with cash, donating $6,800 to the GOP and $5,800 to Democratic Sen. ChuckSchumer. They did 10 more with Trumps running mate, Mike Pence, from August through October, as well as 10 with Trump surrogates, primarily Ben Carson. A collection of images of anchors reciting a script about fake news required by the stations' owner, Sinclair Broadcast Group. Subscribe to Heres the Deal, our politics The average employee at Sinclair Broadcast Group makes $58,204 per year. Marc Rowan at Apollo Management, the private equity firm that recently acquired Yahoo News for $5 billion, gave $1.75 million. Sinclair gave a disproportionate amount of neutral or favorable coverage to Trump during the campaign while often casting Clinton in an unfavorable light. Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit OpenSecrets. All Rights Reserved. The first workings began around 1820. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Our promise was to give all candidates an opportunity to voice their position share their position with our viewers. The National Desk (TND) provides viewers with real-timenational news and regional stories. According to OpenSecrets, an independent nonprofit that tracks money in U.S. politics, as of last week, 2,276 groups organized as super PACs have reported their numbers. If the medium controls the message, then we are asking these questions to make out your character, media owners. 2023 Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. All rights reserved. The segments will have a billboard, meaning theyre sponsored, but will not be sponsored content, a Sinclair spokesperson said. Article Politico later reported that Sinclairs vice president and director had donated to Gianforte the day after he was charged with assault. In the last election cycle, the brothers donated tens of thousands of dollars to Republican causes, including at least $6,000 from Frederick Smith to a super PAC supporting Mr. Trump and $20,000 from David Smith to the National Republican Congressional Committee. The missive from Sinclair exec Amy connects Sinclairs policy preferences to the activities of the PAC, which sends contributions to politicians. such as textbooks, contact OpenSecrets: info[at]crp.org. David Zaslav, who led the merger with CNN and Discovery, donated over $240,000. Participation is completely voluntary. Since its founding in 1971, the Sinclair Broadcast Group has come to own or operate nearly 200 television stations in some 100 markets covering more than 40 percent of American households. However, the move breaks with the rules set in most major newsrooms, which ban journalists from making political contributions or to give to their companies PACs to help prevent a perception of bias in reporting. Eric Zinterhofer, board member of Univision, gave $102,000. A Small Light Review: Bel Powley Shines in NatGeos Sensitive Take on the Anne Frank Story, NBCU Shake-Up: Andy Lack Out at News, Mark Lazarus to Oversee Entertainment, Four More Exhausting Years? Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit OpenSecrets. Sinclair Aired An Ad In 2008 That Linked Obama To Weather Underground Founder Bill Ayers. Barry Diller, owner of The Daily Beast and Investopedia, gave $120,000. Did Elon Musk, one of the biggest donors to Wikipedia, reallygive only $40,000 to political leaders and causesin 2020-21? Get a weekly dive into inequality in America with our Watchdog newsletter delivered to your inbox. The company had originally planned to air the documentary in full, The Times reported, but pressure from advertisers and shareholders led it to run only excerpts during a program on the election. Two-thirds of those donations went to Republicans, and only one third to Democrats. As a leading broadcast television company, our primary business is to engage consumers on multiple platforms with relevant and compelling news, entertainment and sports content, and to provide advertisers and businesses efficient means and value to connect with our mass audiences. They certainly have the right to do it, but its blatantly unethical.. The federal government has fined TV broadcaster Sinclair $48 million, largely because of actions it took in its failed attempt to acquire smaller rival Tribune Media. Follow the money on gun rights and gun control groups. In the closing paragraphs, Livingston alleges that reporters from major media outlets are biased, and calls on them to openly disclose their political tendencies, adding that doing so would help consumers understand the agenda of the reporters and editors providing the content., What we find most troubling in the reporting about our company, by major media outlets (like the New York Times and Washington Post), is the omission of key facts in their stories, Livingston wrote. Soft money contributions were not publicly disclosed until the 1991-92 election cycle. For context, OpenSecrets reported that political spending in the 2020 election reached $14 billion, the most expensive election ever. During 2017 and 2018, more than half of Fox PACs contributions to candidates went to Democrats, such as $9,000 to Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.; $5,750 to Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. and $5,000 to Sen. Bob Casey, D-Penn. Federal government could default as soon as June 1, Treasury Secretary Yellen warns, Get the best insights and analysis delivered to your inbox, 2,276 groups organized as super PACs have reported, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. And while it already reaches over a third of homes across the nation, the country's. I wrote about why I got a COVID shot:Then I was fired from my job. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Mr. Epshteyn managed the surrogate operation of the White House and Administration as well as appeared as an on-air spokesman for the Administration. We believe our employees knowledge, dedication, and ingenuity may lead us to newer heights. Republicans received 64 percent of Comcast PACs contributions to candidates, or about $1.4 million. The outlet also noted that one of Circas reporters is a frequent guest on Hannity to discuss her blockbuster stories alleging various improprieties by former President Obamas national security adviser Susan Rice and fired FBI director James Comey, and casting doubt on rival media reports of possible Trump campaign collusion with Russia. From the July 12 article: In late 2015less than a year after that Wired [profile]Circa was purchased for an estimated $800,000 by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, the nations biggest owner of local television stations. Amid growing political, legal and financial pressure, Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. late Tuesday revised its plan to broadcast a documentary critical of Sen. John Kerry's anti-Vietnam war activities. Sinclair Broadcast Group is asking top executives, including news directors, to make donations to its political action committee, an unusual move that is raising concerns among media. In exchange, Sinclair would broadcast their Trump interviews across the country without commentary, Kushner said. White House to end COVID-19 vaccine requirement for international travelers, Adams rebukes Texas governor for targeting cities with Black mayors to bus asylum seekers, First Republic fallout: Democrats fume as regulators bail out yet another failed bank, Yellen says drop-dead date for debt ceiling is June 1, Hunter Biden appears in court for paternity case, Big birds are having fewer chicks as climate changes, AI chatbot outperforms human doctors in responding to patient questions, Who will replace Tucker Carlson at Fox News? The Sinclair reporter, along with the other conservative reporter Trump called on, were criticized by fellow journalists for not asking about Flynn. The ad is running in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Stadiumis the ultimate destination for the modern-day sports fan. The names of the super PACs (Win Red, Dirt Road, Fair Fight, Follow the North Star, Security is Strength) are almost comical, even if the totals are gobsmacking. Look up your friends and patriotsat the FEC. With Tennis Channel and its related properties, Sinclair is the leader in courtside coverage and the ONLY multiplatform 24/7 destination dedicated to both the professional sport and tennislifestyle. Right-Leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group Solicits Political Donations. That leaves $1 billion unaccounted for. Prior to joining The White House, Mr. Epshteyn served as Communications Director for the 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee. We mistakenly tweeted a photo of @deray with an unrelated story link about a bank robbery. Media ethics experts slammed the request to the Post, with one journalism professor saying, Ive never seen anything like this. Our system is awash in billions of political dollars. Super PACs have the freedom to report only twice a year, so there may be more to come. Sinclair has used its 173 television stations to advance a mostly right-leaning agenda since the presidency of George W. Bush, according to The New York Times. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. In 2008, Sinclair aired an ad from a conservative group smearing then-Sen. Obama by linking him to the founder of the Weather Underground, Bill Ayers, according to The New York Times. After yet another mass shooting, the national debate over gun policy renews. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is a diversified media company and leading provider of local news and sports. Major news organizations buried the most damaging. The index wasmore popular than anticipated. Journalists shower Hillary Clinton with campaign cash, 64 percent of Comcast PACs contributions, 60 percent of Comcasts federal-level PAC contributions, according to Center for Responsive Politics data, Pondering state reparations for tribes, a council documents history of harms, The EPA wants to broaden a ban on a deadly chemical on store shelves, Protecting peoples health in the era of global warming, How drag bans fit into larger attacks on transgender rights, Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Here, theres little doubt that anyone on staff that contributes to the corporate PAC, their money will not only be used to promote Sinclairs policy preferences around broadcasting laws, but general conservative political causes and candidates.. This fake-news promo script was recently read on-air by dozens of local television newscast teams working for stations owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group a phenomenon Deadspin stitched into a video that this weekend went viral. Using the original ownership index, we tracked the political donations at 90 of the top U.S. news organizations. Sinclair Media Networks (SMN) is the division of Sinclair that reaches the companys entire broadcast audience across its national footprint. Journalism is not meant to be public relations for political parties. On average, employees at Sinclair Broadcast Group stay with the company for 5.2 years. So were sharing some with you.. of these columns may not equal the Total column. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Use the unsubscribe link in the emails we send to opt out at any time. Open Secrets following the money in politics, OpenSecrets Following the money in politics. Sinclair Broadcast Group Intends To BuyTribune Media For Nearly $4 Billion. In addition, Sinclair offered no stories about Clintons views about 9/11, about what role Chelsea Clinton might play in her mothers administration or about Bill Clintons campaign role.