Sinclair is building a national TV news organization and there is a lot to like about that. Unfortunately, what's emerging is one with a conservative bent. If Sinclair wants to give its stations a push to the right that is certainly its prerogative, but I would hope it would not go that route.
JESSELL AT LARGE
Sinclair May Be On The Wrong News Path
Last November, I wrote that broadcasters should avoid opinion, on-air editorials and commentary that might erode the most important asset of a news organization — credibility. I suggested that one of the reasons stations rank high in surveys on media trust is because most stations don’t comment.
I heard from broadcasters who argued that editorializing has been — and should continue to be — an important role for stations. Hearst Television’s Jordan Wertlieb was moved to write to us. “Editorials highlight community leaders and heroes; hold elected officials accountable; seek to underscore important investigations and truths; and call for legislative changes that better the lives of the viewers they serve,” he said.
Wertlieb and I were talking about two different things. He’s talking about local and state issues that are relevant to TV stations and their viewers. I was talking about “red meat” issues like immigration and national security, political elections and the culture wars. A station serving up commentary on such highly charged matters will make one wonder about just how straight its news is.
I don’t mean that it can’t be done. But why risk your credibility just to heap on more opinion in a nation now awash in it because of the internet or, for that matter, air stories with the taint of political bias?
The question is timely.
The FCC is expected to ease its national ownership restrictions and, as it does, stations groups will get bigger, big enough that they may want to offer national news.
BRAND CONNECTIONS
When Sinclair bought WJLA Washington and the other Allbritton stations in 2014, Sinclair chief David Smith talked about fusing the stations into a national cable news network. That ambition has been slowed by the FCC rule restricting its reach to just 39% of the country.
But it hasn’t been stopped.
Today, Sinclair is a budding national TV news organization. It has a national political reporter in the person of WJLA’s Scott Thuman. It produces two or three national features every day that its stations must slip into their newscasts within 48 hours. It also produces Full Measure, a Sunday morning investigative news magazine with stories of national interest hosted by former CNN and CBS News reporter Sharyl Attkisson. Thuman is among Full Measure’s contributors.
In addition, many, if not all, of Sinclair stations run the twice weekly commentary of Mark Hyman, Behind the Headlines, which, I’m told, usually runs adjacent to local newscasts.
Sinclair has also invested in Circa, a national service that produces mobile-friendly video news and features for millennials, much like Scripps’ Newsy.
There is a lot to admire in all this. Sinclair could be pocketing the money that is now going into the national news initiatives.
Unfortunately, Sinclair’s national news is emerging as one with a pronounced conservative bent.
Hyman has a lot to do with this. His 90-second commentaries are relentlessly and consistently right of center. His answer to the fake news phenomenon was to point out the instances that the New York Times and the Washington Post got burned by rogue reporters without mentioning the self-flagellation, retractions and apologies that followed. To me, Hyman’s examples are the exceptions that prove the rule that those publications are first-rate and even-handed news organizations.
Like I said last November, Sinclair may pay for Hyman’s commentary by chasing off viewers that don’t agree with him or who simply expect greater thoughtfulness and balance. The conservatives can’t always be right and liberals always wrong.
Sinclair also has a history problem. In 2004 and again in 2012, it plunged into presidential politics — or tried to. It backed off airing an anti-Kerry “documentary” during the 2004 election, after taking serious heat from advertisers and others. Just before the 2012 election, several stations did broadcast a special that was seen as pro-Romney.
Given Hyman and the history, I would think it especially important for Sinclair to steer clear of conservative bias in its reporting and story selection. I’m not sure it has.
In December, Paul Farhi, a highly respected long-time reporter for the Washington Post, reviewed Sinclair’s national reporting during the presidential campaign and found a “strong tilt” toward Trump. “Sinclair gave a disproportionate amount of neutral or favorable coverage to Trump … while often casting Clinton in an unfavorable light.”
Sinclair News VP Scott Livingston counters forcefully that Sinclair plays it right down the middle on its national stories, but his argument is undermined by a memo that he sent to the troops on Feb. 10 and then was leaked to Scott Jones’ FTV Live.
The email was prompted by what Livingston said was a “troubling trend” in stations’ news stories and personal social media posts — “one-sided political coverage.” In fact, an executive producer at Sinclair’s WWMT Kalamazoo, Mich., got fired for political posts on Twitter.
On its surface, it was a call for news objectivity in a politically divisive age. “This is potentially perilous to our profession because when viewers and readers lose trust in us, they stop consuming the news we produce.”
Nothing wrong with that.
But on closer examination it appears that what Livingston was really doing was cautioning them against liberal bias and, more to my point, asking them to become counterweights to what he perceives as liberal media. “I want to make sure you’re taking time to review with your team the importance of understanding our commitment to tracking the truth and challenging the accepted narrative in the mainstream media.”
The only things the Sinclair reporters and producers should be challenging are the statements and activities of powerful institutions and public officials, especially the ones now inhabiting the White House. That’s basically what reporters do.
Livingston goes on to say: “We will not tolerate any deviation from our goal to provide fair and balanced coverage. That “fair and balanced” is Fox News-speak for the conservative point of view. Livingston can’t possibly be ignorant on how loaded that phrase is.
Finally, he says that his boss Smith has received complaints about stations’ biased coverage.
This is simply a lapse in Livingston’s judgment as the top newsman at Sinclair. It’s his job to shield reporters and producers from owners and managers and their political and business agendas, not use them to add weight to disciplining his news people.
I’ve discussed this with Livingston and he thinks I am being unfair, that I’m reading too much into his email and that he really does want to be fair and balanced — not in the Fox News sense, but in the Merriam-Webster sense. He says topics for national must-run stories are based not on a conservative agenda, but on surveys and other feedback from the public. Hmmm….
Sinclair’s national news is in its infancy. We will see how it evolves.
If Sinclair wants to give its stations a push to the right that is certainly its prerogative and one that I would vigorously defend against those who believe broadcast stations may not take political stances or color their news in any way they wish.
But I would hope it would not go that route. There is a better way. ABC, CBS and NBC are fine models — clear, concise, polished newscasts with minimal bias and NO commentary.
Harry A. Jessell is editor of TVNewsCheck. He can be contacted at 973-701-1067 or here. You can read earlier columns here.
Comments (148)
David Siegler says:
February 24, 2017 at 4:06 pm
Wow Harry, I am really torn here. Reading the memo you mentioned in the story as unbiasedly as I could, I think the message is the right one…report the facts! But I have to admit that alarms went off when I read the “fair and balanced” line. I wasn’t as put off as you were by the challenging of the “accepted narrative” statement. I read that to mean don’t be a lemming going over the cliff.
So much of this is perspective and in a time when people are so polarized and every issue is a line in the sand that cannot be crossed, statements about being fair or as I like to say “moderate” are viewed by folks at the extremes as liberal leaning or conservative leaning when in reality they are not leaning in either direction.
I am certain that time will tell whether or not your read of the situation in Sinclair’s news organization is correct or not. I hope that those organizations that are being fair and balanced in the Webster’s definitions of the words can endure until the pendulum swings back and we once again realize that moderation is not a bad thing.
Wagner Pereira says:
March 11, 2017 at 1:15 am
Considering Sinclair is only in 3 of the Top 20 markets (and only 1 of the Top 10), which is where the core Democratic comes from, one could argue that Sinclair is reflecting the views of their local markets (unlike Part Time CableCaster RIDGELINETV IN CAPS where 80%+ of the dinky Counties he is in voted for Trump). Clearly, cablcasters have no such obligations, but the business stupidity is clear when one decides that route.
Veronica Serrano Padilla says:
March 11, 2017 at 6:53 am
LMAO… you’ve never seen any of my programming, how would you know what my channel reflects?? Oh, you don’t… so you’re LYING once again. But, hey, what’s new, you have a long history of doing so here… I don’t actually do hard news (even though I have news experience – unlike you) nor do I any commentary on my channel. And most of the programming does reflect Conservative and Right Wing views – family-oriented programming, hunting and outdoors, religious shows, etc. As for my personal views? Yeah, I think Trump is an idiot, but I voted Republican in the Primary (and voted my conscience in the General election – which was neither Trump nor Clinton – I wrote in a candidate whom I thought was suitable for president.)
Gaby Johnston says:
February 24, 2017 at 4:32 pm
Harry, you missed Wertlieb’s point. Are you saying local stations can only editorialize about local/state issues? That national issues have no impact on local communities? That local stations don’t have the nuanced sophistication to understand national issues? Sort of patronizing of you, isn’t it? Hyman’s opinion pieces are are labeled just that. Nothing hidden there …as opposed to the snarky asides and sinister graphics melted into the “fine models” of “polished newscasts with minimal bias” of your favorite national nets. Please spare us. The fact that you — as a reliable and trusted reporter — can give your opinion weekly in the news site that you own drips in irony when you poo poo a group owner for having such audacity. What you didn’t point out was any evidence that the Sinclair stories are biased or that the reporters have some axe to grind. Isn’t that what Livingston was guarding against? I say let him pursue his passion to keep their stories bias-free.
Gene Johnson says:
February 24, 2017 at 5:40 pm
Actually, Harry did point to the analysis by Paul Farhi finding a generally pro-Trump tilt to Sinclair’s news. He did not mention the “agreement” that Sinclair had with Trump giving it better access to him. As Harry notes, station owners certainly have the right to use their stations as a soapbox for their views, though hopefully it doesn’t infect their news operations (when there is one), and all such uses are clearly labeled opinion, editorial, or whatever to denote that it’s not news. Apparently Sinclair does that with Hyman’s commentaries, but not with it’s take on the news. Livingston’s quoted view [“cautioning them against liberal bias and, more to my point, asking them to become counterweights to what he perceives as liberal media. “I want to make sure you’re taking time to review with your team the importance of understanding our commitment to tracking the truth and challenging the accepted narrative in the mainstream media.””] indicates that he doesn’t believe the “mainstream media” (whoever it is) are reporting the “truth.” That sounds pretty much like what the President and his administration are saying, particularly when referencing “fake news.” In my view that shows a definite bias – whatever the mainstream media are reporting is not true and Sinclair has to be a counterweight. Personally, as a resident in the Washington, DC market, I have personally decided to avoid watching WJLA’s newscast (not that I watch all that much of the local crime report on any local channel, but when I do it most definitely is not WJLA).
John Livingston says:
February 25, 2017 at 7:46 pm
Sinclair has stated that they had no special treatment with Trump or titled there coverage to be good for Trump and I believe Sinclair. Since I live in the West Michigan market Sinclair owns WWMT only watch for the weather as I prefer Wood TV & FOX17 for local news coverage plus GR has a lot going on than Kalamazoo one of the few in Kalamazoo that wants GR news than Kazoo news.
Wagner Pereira says:
February 28, 2017 at 12:25 pm
@JamesV Sinclair offered a deal to Trump AND HRC for access to the Candidate. Trump accepted. HRC refused (as she ducked most press and did not want to give access). Is there any wonder their might be more coverage to a Candidate who gives the press access? That was in fact the way Trump ran his whole campaign. There has never been another Presidential Candidate who gave the press so much access during their campaign.
Ellen Samrock says:
February 24, 2017 at 5:48 pm
Okay, let’s see if I got this right. Conservative news reporting – bad. Liberal news reporting – good. Is that about the gist of this commentary?
Just Fine says:
February 25, 2017 at 3:45 pm
Actually, it’s conservative-only reporting is bad, moderate, non-biased reporting is good. There aren’t any liberal news organizations out there just as there’s no liberal media, as most tend to take a center/moderate view. If you only digest your news through conservative lenses (which, I’m guessing, you tend to do), you’ll ignorantly see anything that doesn’t adhere to your conservative POV as “liberal,” which is untrue. Conservatism is one extreme while liberalism is a whole other extreme, and most of the media, primarily ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, and most national magazines, are moderate and centrist. They don’t lead cheers for liberal causes and ideals any more than they lead cheers for conservative values and issues. And because conservatives don’t see them echoing the same news they hear on conservative-run talk radio media, Fox News, OANN, The Blaze, The Daily Caller, and large conservative news blogs, they’ll immediately and irrationally call them “liberal” as if that’s some kind of insult. In a period where we have a sitting president call media that he doesn’t agree with as “enemies of the state” not unlike actual terrorist groups, you endanger the lives of journalist and the actual institution of journalism. And that’s bad for everybody, even the media he likes.
John Livingston says:
February 25, 2017 at 7:57 pm
Wrong there is a liberal bias MESSNBC oh I mean MSNBC is so far left I can’t watch the channel other than Caught On Tape or Lock Up series which are now cancelled only watched when there was nothing else on. CNN is left leaning tries to be fair Nightly News they lean left but aren’t uber liberal like MSNBC so yes there is a liberal bias. FOX News outside of the opinion shows that are conservative News Coverage is very fair & balance and plays it down the middle and I don’t read any of the conservative blogs you mentioned. Agree to disagree about liberal bias.
Ellen Samrock says:
February 26, 2017 at 11:21 am
“There aren’t any liberal news organizations out there…” You are so deep into the lower intestinal tract of the liberal media that you’re blind to your bias. Trump has been president for just a little over a month and the MSM has already accused him of committing treason. seeking to carry out mass genocide, being clinically insane, trying to start a nuclear war and being a puppet of Putin. That your bias is obvious can be seen in your statement, “we have a sitting president call media that he doesn’t agree with as “enemies of the state.”” Trump made it plain in his speech at the CPAC event that he was referring to fake news as the ‘enemy of the people’ not the media. The press has characterized Trump’s immigration/travel ban as a ban against Muslims which is ridiculous since there are over 40 predominately Muslim nations that are not listed in the ban– a ban which, by the way, was only temporary. Go ahead and be an apologetic for the liberal press, the facts and a simple Google search prove you wrong. There’s no point of arguing this with Harry since in his view “fair and balanced” is nothing more than code for conservatism. Ridgeline’s infantile behavior isn’t worth addressing.
cortney baker says:
February 28, 2017 at 10:55 am
Roger you are right.
Bo Berezansky says:
March 1, 2017 at 10:50 am
Wow
Amneris Vargas says:
February 24, 2017 at 9:56 pm
Harry, don’t go after waiters and cooks. Your lost your spine halfway through an initially ballsy commentary.
Hannah Matton says:
February 25, 2017 at 10:27 am
It may be a good thing FOX news with its multiple top rated cable shows didn’t ask for your advice.
Veronica Serrano Padilla says:
February 25, 2017 at 6:37 pm
Is that the cable network that claims it’s not news but entertainment every time it gets sued??
Hannah Matton says:
February 26, 2017 at 1:33 pm
You missed my point Mr. Ridgehead, I think Sinclair see ratings and cash in their pocket by giving their audience a more consecutive newscast than the liberal slanted stuff they have been force feed. Just like Fox did and now is the number 1 cable channel and making a poop load of money.
Veronica Serrano Padilla says:
February 26, 2017 at 2:48 pm
No point missed. Mr. Jessell was discussing how to be a respectable news organization… you’re talking about entertainment…big, big difference…
Wagner Pereira says:
February 28, 2017 at 12:20 pm
@RIDGELINETV IN CAPS. NO, JUST LIKE CNN, MSNBC ET AL, FNC IS NEWS DURING THE DAY AND ENTERTAINMENT AT NIGHT, UNLESS YOU ACCEPT CNN DISCUSSING THE POSSIBILTY OF MH370 VANISHING INTO A BLACK HOLE IS NEWS.
Veronica Serrano Padilla says:
March 1, 2017 at 9:00 pm
@Insider: LMAO!! You wouldn’t know “news” if it bit you in the arse… you’re the guy who couldn’t tell the difference in a reader comment and news on this site!! And, hey, try to post in English like an adult would use. We know you’re proper-noun impaired, but using all caps really isn’t what educated people do.
Wagner Pereira says:
March 11, 2017 at 1:03 am
@RIDGELINETV IN CAPS. NO, I CAN SAFELY SAY I KNOW THE IDIOTIC COMMENTS YOU AND OTHERS LIKE YOU MAKE HERE ARE NOT NEWS AND IN MOST CASES, INCORRECT.
Veronica Serrano Padilla says:
March 11, 2017 at 6:57 am
Obviously not, in a post on a past story you called my comment (or someone else’s) FAKE NEWS… Obviously, you can’t discern a user comment from the news story. Sorry, you fail.
Kathy Schlecht says:
February 25, 2017 at 12:04 pm
I’d say the best success is reporting local news. Sinclair doesn’t have a winning formula… how many of their stations are No. 1 or No. 2 in their markets?
John Livingston says:
February 25, 2017 at 8:00 pm
I haven’t heard much about Sinclair national cable news network other than a couple of years ago otherwise haven’t heard much about it anymore. I heard there is rumors they are interested in buying the weather channel that came out last summer.
Steve Ingram says:
February 26, 2017 at 5:39 pm
Donald Trump has no concept of what is in the 1st amendment to the Constitution of the United States…Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, the right to assemble. He has tried to quash all four in his first six weeks in office. If David Smith and Sinclair Broadcasting stand behind Trumps actions and words, they are in a very grave place. Supporting a Republican agenda is one thing. Standing behind the abridgement of our freedoms as Americans is quite another. Shame on Sinclair Broadcasting
cortney baker says:
February 28, 2017 at 11:01 am
Cowboy, most of the Country is behind Trump.
Veronica Serrano Padilla says:
March 1, 2017 at 8:56 pm
…or did you man to say: most of the country knows Trump is a behind?? (Hmmm… country is capitalize when it shouldn’t be… is that @Insider changing names??)
Wagner Pereira says:
March 11, 2017 at 1:05 am
@RIDGELINETV IN CAPS. YOU DRUNK OR STUPID? TRY SPELLING CORRECTLY.
cortney baker says:
February 28, 2017 at 10:58 am
Sharyl Attkisson is fantastic! I say go Sinclair…
Steve Ingram says:
February 28, 2017 at 4:49 pm
kaykear, Trump was elected by less than a majority last November. No one. however, is disputing that he won because of the electoral college system. But the only people whose faith he hasn’t shaken are people who believe he was elected to be dictator or king, not President of these great United States. And, it would not matter if it were a majority as you suggest-if he is failing to uphold the Constitution of the US-specifically the 1st Amendment-than either censure him as President or change the 1st Amendment. I vote to stay with the 1st Amendment. You?
Dan Levitt says:
March 1, 2017 at 10:36 am
the Slanted news is the SMOKESCREEN, the only reason anybody would create Fake News is for $$$. Fake News such as the Advertising portrayed as News Content prevalent at WPIX in NYC and Tribune Media stations via shady antics of Telerep Sales. Telerep who also has Sinclair as client… hmm, rumor is Sinclair looking to merge with Tribune somehow. birds of a feather
Cheryl Thorne says:
March 2, 2017 at 12:27 pm
God Bless you Harry….Wow!!!!!
Cheryl Thorne says:
March 2, 2017 at 12:28 pm
Harry..Are you paid for this????
mike tomasino says:
March 3, 2017 at 5:58 pm
Everyone has a bias. The news you choose to report, or not report, shows your bias. How you report the news, shows your bias. All news reporting is biased. Most Mainstream Media is Marxist Communist biased, and it has been that way for decades, so I’m looking forward to some news reporting that isn’t Marxist Communist biased.
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