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Sinclair fails to fulfill only objective: remain objective

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By: Olivia Wile
Twitter: o_wile
Email: wileo@findlay

At the beginning of this month, it was revealed that Sinclair Broadcast group, an American telecommunications company that owns news stations around the country, mandated a script for their news anchors to read on camera.
Since Sinclair owns these stations, it may be difficult at first to recognize the major error in this protocol; it may even seem reasonable that they control the content produced by their stations.
However, as soon as media groups such as Sinclair begin requiring their outlets to follow such orders, the integrity of both the anchors and news itself goes into question.
For those unaware, the script mandated by Sinclair was that in which warns against fake news, of all things. The second paragraph of the script reads:
“But we’re concerned about the troubling trend of irresponsible, one sided news stories plaguing our country. The sharing of biased and false news has become all too common on social media.”
What is more concerning than fake news is that Sinclair is ultimately encouraging it by requiring its’ news rooms to read such a statement. One may argue that it is the fault of the producers or anchors at these stations to go forward with this instead of recognizing the error in it.
However, a mandate, according to Merriam Webster, is “an authoritative command; a formal order from a superior court or official to an inferior one.” This means that even if the producers or anchors at these stations did not feel it was ethical to read the script, their jobs are easily at stake if they are to question, or refuse an order.
Though Sinclair claims their branch stations are not producing bias content, who really knows what other agendas they have been pushing. In paragraph six of the script, the widely-known conservative media group that is Sinclair assures viewers they do not lean towards a certain party:
“At (insert news station) it’s our responsibility to pursue and report the truth. We understand Truth is neither politically ‘left nor right.’ Our commitment to factual reporting is the foundation of our credibility, now more than ever.”
Great as it sounds, how can we as a population even believe this, let alone not question what other mandates Sinclair has been sending its’ stations.
As a result, not only has the public lost its’ trust in these local stations, but once again our industry is under fire for being bias.
Unfortunate as it is, after this, hopefully our field can rally around change for our craft to remain what its’ designed to do; act as the fourth estate, the objective check on power.

Sinclair broadcast mandates script

by

By: Olivia Wile
Twitter: o_wile
Email: wileo@findlay.edu

While fake news is a term that is tossed around in the journalism industry quite frequently, it is making headlines again.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Sinclair Broadcast group, the nation’s largest telecommunications company, sent a mandated script to all of its’ local news stations to record and air.
A video produced by Deadspin, a sports news site, combines clips of various news anchors reading the exact same script. According to the Washington Post, Sinclair owns over 170 stations around the nation, reaching an estimated 72 percent of U.S. households.
Professor of Communications Dr. Diana Montague explains the concern of this situation.
“The concept to me is frightening because for your local news in particular, you don’t think that there’s some big puppet tree guiding your local news,” stated Montague.
Montague brings up the fourth paragraph of the script which states: “Unfortunately, some members of the media use their platforms to push their own personal bias and agenda to control ‘exactly what people think’…This is extremely dangerous to a democracy.”
“For them to have to read a script that, I’m assuming they don’t agree with, I mean that’s an opinion from on high that they’re delivering,” explained Montague. “That to me is just incredibly insidious and if there’s a threat to our democracy, that’s a good example.”
As a journalism and digital media major working towards this career field, University of Findlay Junior Cory Berlekamp says he finds the incident just as alarming.
“To learn that one of the people who owns one of the media stations can control or at least hand down ‘must reads’ to you as a journalist, I wouldn’t say it’s disheartening, but I would say it’s shocking,” said Berlekamp.
As an individual who stands by what he believes, Berlekamp says if in the position of these producers and anchors, he would not read the script.
“I feel like deep down if I were put into that position than I would have to make the decision not to read it,” said Berlekamp.
From a history degree, to pursuing music and going to culinary school, the 29-year-old has changed career paths multiple times and says he would not hesitate changing again if he had to.
“First you voice your opinion and if its not going to get heard or change anything then I’m out,” explained Berlekamp. “If that would come down to me finding a new job or career, then I would have to because I would not be able to read it.”
Montague states that, however, for those chasing stability or trying to support a family, putting their job at risk is not that easy.
“We would like to think that everyone is so ethically focused that they would say, ‘I’m not going to do this I would rather walk,’ but when you’ve got a mortgage payment, a school loan payment, a family; what do you do?”
Both the professor and student do agree that there are measures that can be taken to prevent this incident from reoccurring.
“If you are being coerced to do something like this, to speak something, write something that you don’t agree with, but is being passed off as fact, then there are arms of journalism, ethical arms, legal arms, to contact and let them know,” said Montague.
Berlekamp feels it is ultimately up to journalists to stay true to the fourth estate, the press working as an object source of fact.
“The idea is to, especially as a journalist, be vigilant, if you don’t like it say it, because other people will see it and respect it,” concluded Berlekamp.
To watch the Sinclair Broadcast script in action, visit: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/02/598794433/video-reveals-power-of-sinclair-as-local-news-anchors-recite-script-in-unison.