Sinclair Broadcasting Faces Possible “Employee Walkout and Advertiser Boycott” Over Recent Video, Reports The Wrap
Hunt Valley, Md,-based Sinclair Broadcasting Group, the nation’s largest owner of TV stations, is facing the dual threats of an employee walkout and advertiser boycott over a recent video showing dozens of its news anchors robotically reading a company-mandated script bashing the media and echoing Trump talking points, reports The Wrap.
The Wrap’s report added, in part, that “Outrage over the video has intensified as the company is trying to acquire 42 top market TV stations across the country.
“The hashtag #SinclairStrike, calling for a one-day walkout on May 15, has garnered almost 2 million impressions with a reach of 1.2 million in less than 24 hours, according to social media tracker
“It’s too early to tell whether either hashtag represents a movement that could could dent Sinclair’s bottom line.”
In addition, the story stated that “Sinclair also faces troubles from within.
“On Wednesday, CNN reported that a producer of a morning show at a Sinclair-owned station in Nebraska resigned in protest of the network’s “obvious bias.”
“And on Tuesday, Sinclair’s station in Madison, Wisconsin, defied its parent company, refusing to air a “must-run” segment.
““WMSN/FOX47 Madison did not air the Sinclair promotional announcement during our 9pm news this weekend,” a rep for Fox 47 Madison told Think Progress. “Rather, we stayed true to our commitment to provide our Madison area viewers local news, weather and sports of interest to them.”
“The Sinclair backlash began Saturday when Deadspin posted a video depicting dozens of Sinclair TV news anchors reciting the same scripted message warning against “fake stories.”
“The company, which owns nearly 200 local stations across the country, had ordered its anchors to read the promotional script warning viewers about “the troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing the country.””
In addition, “Sinclair told TheWrap in a statement that the company was surprised by the public’s response.
““We aren’t sure of the motivation for the criticism, but find it curious that we would be attacked for asking our news people to remind their audiences that unsubstantiated stories exist on social media, which result in an ill-informed public with potentially dangerous consequences,” said Scott Livingston, Sinclair’s senior vice president of news. “It is ironic that we would be attacked for messages promoting our journalistic initiative for fair and objective reporting, and for specifically asking the public to hold our newsrooms accountable. Our local stations keep our audiences’ trust by staying focused on fact-based reporting and clearly identifying commentary.””
Read the full story here.
