Journalism

Gannett veteran Maribel Perez Wadsworth is the new publisher of USA Today. She currently is president of the USA Today Network, which includes USA Today as well as 109 other media brands across the country. She takes the reins as incumbent publisher John Zidich retires.

In many smaller markets, it’s local TV stations’ websites — not newspapers’ sites — that are the dominant digital local news source, according to a new report from the Knight Foundation.

President Trump started a trend: calling unfavorable news coverage fake. Foreign leaders — especially dictators and authoritarian regimes — have followed suit.

David Smith, the executive chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group, says the media is getting his company all wrong. His remarks came in response to renewed scrutiny of Sinclair after a video spread rapidly showing anchors at dozens of its stations across the country reciting the same speech about media bias.

The journalism organization does not directly address the Sinclair flap, saying only that “many questions about been raised recently about the degree to which the news … is truly local and truly independent.”

Justin Simmons, a morning TV producer at a Sinclair-owned ABC affiliate in Nebraska, has resigned in protest of what he calls the company’s “obvious bias.”

The Hispanic journalist will oversee news operations at Telemundo’s Denver outlet.

SAG-AFTRA, which represents thousands of TV journalists, has come out swinging against the Sinclair Broadcast Group’s “fake news” warning that dozens of its local broadcasters around the country were required to read on the air.

After Sinclair Broadcast Group drew widespread criticism for having anchors read a statement taking aim at the integrity of other U.S. media outlets, many wondered why some of the company’s journalists didn’t just quit. The short answer is the cost may be too steep. Noncompetes, forced arbitration and a liquidated damages clause can equal 40% of annual salary.

It should come as no surprise — although it is quite disturbing — that a new poll finds 77% of Americans believe responsible journalists report “fake news” at least occasionally. Thirty-one percent believe we report “fake news” regularly.

Andy Fishman, WJW’s news director, and Jessica Bates, the station’s managing editor, attribute most of their success on Facebook to experimentation, selective content and constantly responding to what their followers post. “What worked for us this morning may not be successful for us in the afternoon,” says Bates. “We’re going to take risks. Maybe it’s a graphic. Maybe it’s a video.”

TVNewsCheck and the Broadcast Education Association are looking for student journalists who can create the best new approaches or formats for local TV news. The winners will receive monetary prizes to be presented during BEA’s 2019 annual convention in Las Vegas.

David Smith, the executive chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group, said he dislikes and fundamentally distrusts the print media, which he believes “serves no real purpose.” He said that print — as in newspapers and magazines — is a reality-distorting tool of leftists. Print media, he said, has “no credibility” and no relevance. (TVNewsCheck photo)

Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox is making a new pitch to win approval for its planned takeover of British broadcaster Sky. The first proposal would see 21st Century Fox selling Sky’s news business to Disney  Under the second proposal, Sky News would be legally separated from the rest of Sky in a bid to ensure its editorial independence.

Critics are calling Sinclair’s promos pro-Trump propaganda. Now the company is defending the initiative, and calling it something much more mundane: A “corporate news journalistic responsibility promotional campaign.”

So funny to watch Fake News Networks, among the most dishonest groups of people I have ever dealt with, criticize Sinclair Broadcasting for being biased. Sinclair is far superior to CNN and even more Fake NBC, which is a total joke.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018

The president tweeted Monday that it was funny to watch “Fake News Networks” criticizing Sinclair for being biased. The president singled out CNN and NBC.