Video Shows Sinclair Anchors Reading From Pre-Written Script

The Sinclair Broadcast Group is telling their reporters to warn people against buying into fake news. The only problem with this is every anchor is reading from a script written by the national news giant.

In a chilling video posted by Deadspin, anchor after anchor is seen reciting the same spiel to camera warning viewers about the dangers of fake news and how it is “extremely dangerous to our democracy.”

The problem most critiques are noticing is this message happens to align with Trump’s slogan that the mainstream media touts fake news and cannot be trusted, that is, all that are not personally favored by him.

Sinclair is a known conservative-leaning station and Trump supporter. News stories with a conservative edge added to them, or conservative commentary segments have long been a part of the local programming Sinclair pushes along their national platform.

And the giant is about to consume more. Sinclair is currently in negotiations to buy Tribune, making them the largest nationally syndicated broadcasting platform ahead of Fox News.

The possible merger, which has yet to be federally approved, can happen due to the Federal Communications Commission voting to roll back rules preventing local news stations from consolidating.

When too many local stations or big media giants begin to merge you run the risk of a media monopoly, and essentially one or two major broadcasters regulating the kind of content that will be disseminated to the masses.

Sinclair’s message to the American people that fake and biased news is out there is true. People do need to be responsible and research what they think are truthful and balanced facts.

But what Sinclair didn’t put in their script is the fact that requiring their anchors to read a pre-written statement is propaganda. And sadly, many anchors who were involved in the script read did not want to participate but careers were on the line if they didn’t.

The takeaway? Not every meme on Facebook is fact, nor is every “story” posted on social media or read directly into camera by a news anchor. Even the satirical site The Onion has long been able to trip people up and be cited as truth.

Today, it is more important than ever to make sure the mainstream media is not hindered from reporting facts that are both unbiased and unedited.

And we as responsible news consumers must remember to cross check various sources, be willing to research and not take things for face value, and accept facts that might not align with our personal beliefs, but are still facts and the honest truth.

But more importantly, remember not every journalist is touting a biased and fake agenda. In fact, many reporters who are employed by a Sinclair station are extremely angry about the dark cloud this “PSA” ordered from the head honchos have cast on their work and ethics.

In a time when journalism as a whole is being plagued with fake news and a distrust from the general public, remember there are stations, reporters and anchors who want nothing more than to provide transparency to the American people and deliver ethical news to your living room.