sinclair broadcast group political donations

A Sinclair executive lashed out at criticism of Sinclair in an internal memo, according to Politico. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The Sinclair reporter, along with the other conservative reporter Trump called on, were criticized by fellow journalists for not asking about Flynn. While election cycles are shown in charts as 1996, 1998, 2000 etc. During 2017 and 2018, the broadcast giants political action committee has so far doled out almost $30,000 to federal political candidates, with 80 percent of this money going to Republicans, such as $4,000 to Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon and $4,500 to Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. Transparency matters. On Wednesday, eligible Sinclair Broadcast Group employees thought to be mostly executive types received an invitation to contribute to the companys political action committee. Sinclair and its affiliates have a history of airing conservative-leaning reporting and commentary, and its executives have donated to Republicans and Republican causes. 05/01/23 11:08 AM EDT, Article Only 14.5% of the 412 owners, executives, board members and investors had given to individual candidates, traditional PACs or super PACs from January 2020 to August 2021, as trackedby the FEC. We are an employer of choice in the broadcast industry. Wash. Post: Sinclairs Stations Have Been Used To Attack Democrats Or To Boost Republicans. The Washington Post reported in 2014 that after Sinclair purchased Washingtons ABC affiliate WJLA-TV, the channel took a subtle but noticeable turn to the right. The Post added that Sinclairs stations have been used to attack Democratic candidates or to boost Republicans, and on the eve of 2012 presidential elections, Sinclair stations in several battlegrounds states aired a corporate-produced half-hour news special that criticized then-President Barack Obama and his policies. Among Democrats, Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida got $2,500 and Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana received $1,500. Soft money donations to parties were banned after the 2002 cycle. The index wasmore popular than anticipated. USA TODAY's opinionnewsletter:Get the best insights and analysis delivered to your inbox. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. In the closing paragraphs, Livingston alleges that reporters from major media outlets are biased, and calls on them to openly disclose their political tendencies, adding that doing so would help consumers understand the agenda of the reporters and editors providing the content., What we find most troubling in the reporting about our company, by major media outlets (like the New York Times and Washington Post), is the omission of key facts in their stories, Livingston wrote. [M]uch of the reporting about Sinclair in recent months has been irresponsible and much of it is just plain false, Livingston wrote in the memo. of these columns may not equal the Total column. We do not believe these journalists are incompetent, so we are left to conclude that they are biased. 05/01/23 12:01 PM EDT, Video & Audio But specific instruction isnt needed. The network is known for featuring top conservatives, and hired former Trump spokesman Boris Epshteyn last year. Here, theres little doubt that anyone on staff that contributes to the corporate PAC, their money will not only be used to promote Sinclairs policy preferences around broadcasting laws, but general conservative political causes and candidates.. That leaves $1 billion unaccounted for. However, the move breaks with the rules set in most major newsrooms, which ban journalists from making political contributions or to give to their companies PACs to help prevent a perception of bias in reporting. we are sinclair We believe Sinclair Broadcast Group's people are our most important asset. Even his wife, Clare Boothe Luce, herself a Republican member of Congress, chastised him publicly for his relentless coverage in Time of Barry Goldwaters GOP nomination for president. A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization . What we know about the conservative media giant Sinclair We believe our employees knowledge, dedication, and ingenuity may lead us to newer heights. Sinclair pulls show where Fauci conspiracy theory is aired, TV broadcaster Sinclair fined $48 million over Tribune deal, $3.9 billion buyout of Tribune by Sinclair ends in acrimony, Sinclair, Tribune in talks to overcome regulatory hurdles, Trump defends Sinclair again, blasts news media as fakers, Viral video raises worry over Sinclairs political messaging inside local news, Trump defends Sinclair broadcasting after video slams anchors for scripted warning on fake news, How Sinclair Broadcasting puts a partisan tilt on trusted local news, Sinclair Pulls Back From Airing Anti-Kerry Film, Reporter Fired for Publicly Criticizing Plans to Air Anti-Kerry Documentary. Through an editorial edict, the company mandated anchors at its 193 local TV stations to . In a digital age, there are many new ways to influence. The New York Times reported that Sinclair is trying to pull strings within the Trump administration for a favorable outcome. Screenshot this, because you have a defamation lawsuit on your hands advised one user, while countless others did just that and snapped screenshots of the misleading photo. Located in a very diverse region rich in assets, not only geographically (relief, climate), but also economic and human, the Lyon-Grenoble Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes is the latest INRAE centre to be created. The Times noted that Fox News Channel and CNN declined to run the spot amid legal questions. From the August 27, 2008, article: As Senator Obamas campaign makes its argument for his candidacy before a national audience here this week, it is waging a separate, forceful campaign against a new conservative group running millions of dollars of ads linking him to the 1960s radical William Ayers Jr. Lawyers for the campaign have asked the Justice Department to investigate the group which is operating under rules governing non-profit corporations calling on television stations to cease airing the spot, and, campaign officials said, planning to pressure advertisers on stations that refuse to do so. McCarthy to Russian reporter: I do not support what your country has done to Facebook privacy settlement: Who is eligible for a payment? Why? If . Here are some top contenders, Tucker Carlson, on leaked video, derides Fox streaming service, Ben Hall to interview Blinken in return to Fox News airwaves after Ukraine injury, Supreme Court to consider overruling Chevron doctrine, Al Franken blasts Supreme Court: Its illegitimate, Senate rankings: Here are the 5 seats most likely to flip, Human brains show larger-than-life activity at moment of death. Then, just days before the election, Sinclair aired parts of a documentary critical of the anti-Vietnam War activities of John Kerry, the Democratic nominee. In May, I published anownership indexof the top 176 U.S. media organizations. Sinclair, either directly or through its venture subsidiaries, makes equity investments in strategic companies. Even after the initial tweet was taken down, however, users began to come across other unrelated KBOI stories that shared this photo of McKesson at a protest rally. President Trumps tweet dismissing opposition to Sinclairs destruction of local news shows how big media uses its money and power to influence our elected officials, said former FCC commissioner and Common Cause adviser, Michael Copps, in a statement. March 20, 2023. In the memo, Livingston lists several storylines that have emerged around the Maryland-based television company and provides what he said are facts proving them false. Circa News, an online outlet bought by Sinclair in 2015, has become a favorite of Sean Hannity among other Fox News personalities, along with far-right troll Mike Cernovich and Donald Trump Jr., with what critics claim is a stealthy emphasis on right-leaning, Trump-friendly content, according to The Daily Beast. Scott Livingston, Sinclairs vice president for news, last year told the New York Times that Sinclair works very hard to be objective and fair and be in the middle maybe some other news organizations may be to the left of center, and we work very hard to be in the center.. Spurred by the rapid proliferation of social media platforms, with questionable content,and a formerpresident who pummeled our free press repeatedly, its no wonder Americans are left wary and our information ecosystem is in shambles. 2023 Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Stadiumis the ultimate destination for the modern-day sports fan. [New York magazine, 5/25/17; Politico, 6/27/17]. Breakingviews - Cox: Sinclair is more totalitarian than democratic Sinclair clearly has a good campaign finance compliance lawyer, he said. With Tennis Channel and its related properties, Sinclair is the leader in courtside coverage and the ONLY multiplatform 24/7 destination dedicated to both the professional sport and tennislifestyle. RobertIger, executive chairman of the Walt Disney Co. and who once ran ABC, gave over $1 million. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit OpenSecrets. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. Romneys record received less scrutiny. NY Times: Sinclair Has Advanced A Mostly Right-Leaning Agenda Since George W. Bushs Presidency. Prior to joining The White House, Mr. Epshteyn served as Communications Director for the 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee. According to the source, Weindel said that they werent covering the story, though it was featured in outlets across the country at the time, explaining, The person that tweeted [Jacobs] and was allegedly body slammed is a reporter for a politically biased publication. Weindel then added, You are on your own for this., A report in HuffPost reveals that the station was acquired, last month, by the conservative media conglomerate Sinclair Broadcasting. Super PACs have the freedom to report only twice a year, so there may be more to come. This has most clearly come in election seasons, with stations being used to attack Democratic candidates or to boost Republicans: On the eve of the 2012 election between Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, for example, Sinclair stations in several battlegrounds states aired a corporate-produced half-hour news special that criticized Obamas handling of the economy, his signature health-care law and the administrations management of the terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Sinclair Broadcast Group is asking top executives, including news directors, to make donations to its political action committee, an unusual move that is raising concerns among media. The vein has been exploited during . Under the direction of its ambitious corporate parent, the stations news operations have taken a subtle but noticeable turn to the right. 11/30/22 2:13 PM EST, Article I dont see how this ends well. According to Politico, while Attkisson was at CBS, network executives saw her wading dangerously close to advocacy against the Obama administration regarding the 2012 Benghazi attacks. Washington, The Washington Post reported in 2014 that Sinclair and its executives have been consistent financial contributors to Republican candidates. [The Washington Post, 9/16/14]. Democrats are wading in to the fray and demanding answers over. A Trump spokesman said the deal included the interviews running across every affiliate but that no money was exchanged between the network and the campaign. such as textbooks, contact OpenSecrets: info[at]crp.org. We recognize the vital role broadcast television plays in branding and local content delivery, and therefore strive to constantly be at the forefront of leading edge technology and structures to advance the industry. Sinclair Broadcasting chairman funds ballot initiative Sinclair asks news directors to donate to political action committee Please check your inbox to confirm. After yet another mass shooting, the national debate over gun policy renews. She has written extensively about the news media. Sinclair Broadcast Group | Definition, History, Operations A reporter from a Sinclair affiliate was one of two people called on by Trump during his February 13 press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Sinclair and its affiliates have a history of airing. Sinclair Broadcast Group has taken upon itself the noble ambition of teaching Americans about democracy. It also owns about 20 regional sports cable networks, a handful of . Mr. Epshteyn was a surrogate and Senior Advisor to the Trump Campaign, where he managed messaging. ", A viral video compilation of local TV anchors is raising new concerns about the way Sinclair Broadcast Group mixes news with conservative, partisan political opinion. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Company vice presidents J. Duncan Smith and Frederick G. Smith favor Republicans, donating more than $12,000 to Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb. Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. fired its Washington bureau chief late Monday after the reporter publicly objected to the company's plan to air a documentary attacking Sen. John Kerry's anti-Vietnam war activities this week. Media mogul William Randolph Hearst famously declared, This is my newspaper, these are my views, take or leave it. Hearst boldly placed his editorials on the front page, with his picture, signed for Gods sake. There was no subterfuge. In one instance, the company required stations to run a weekly commentary called Bottom Line with Boris presented by a former senior advisor to President Donald Trump.. Sinclairs owned/operated stations offer newsletters to provide breaking news and additional content from the community. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time. For context, OpenSecrets reported that political spending in the 2020 election reached $14 billion, the most expensive election ever. And last year Politico reported that the Trump campaign struck an exclusive deal with Sinclair to broadcast interviews with Trump across all of its networks, an unprecedented arrangement. Newsmax owner Chris Ruddy gave $365,000 to Donald Trump and his super PACs. Eric Zinterhofer, board member of Univision, gave $102,000. A glaring exception to this evenhanded approach can be found at Sinclair Broadcasting Group, which recently endured a firestorm of negative publicity for ordering its 62 television stations to air a documentaryjust days before the electioncritical of Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry. This summer, students from Tufts and Harvard universities spent time digging through the Federal Election Commission database with me. Our system is awash in billions of political dollars. Sinclair said it had no knowledge of the arrangement, but the FCC said the programs violated rules against payola punditry. [The Washington Post, 9/16/14]. See the details. According to OpenSecrets, an independent nonprofit that tracks money in U.S. politics, as of last week, 2,276 groups organized as super PACs have reported their numbers. Before the 2004 presidential election, Sinclair drew sharp criticism, including from Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, for its refusal to broadcast an episode of Nightline devoted to reciting the names of every member of the military killed in action in Iraq. Sinclair has used its 173 television stations to advance a mostly right-leaning agenda since the presidency of George W. Bush, according to The New York Times. The FCC must block this merger [with Tribune Media.]. Sinclair National Sales provides advertisers the unique ability to reach viewers and potential customers on a single market, multiple market, and regional basis. The company, which sent Mr. Hyman and one of its reporters to Iraq earlier in the year to find positive stories that were not being told, said the broadcast amounted to an antiwar statement, The New York Times reported. . Comet is the ONLY broadcast network for sci-fi fans. Sign up to receive our freeWatchdog email newsletter, a weekly investigation in inequality from Public Integrity. During 2017 and 2018, more than half of Fox PACs contributions to candidates went to Democrats, such as $9,000 to Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.; $5,750 to Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. and $5,000 to Sen. Bob Casey, D-Penn. His well-documented views were notsecret. As reported by Politico, the memo claims the criticism came from biased news organizations that have an agenda to destroy our reputation. From the July 18 article: An executive at local broadcast TV giant Sinclair defended the company and lashed out against what he called biased news organizations that have an agenda to destroy our reputation in an internal memo obtained by POLITICO. Sinclair Broadcast Group. While Sinclairs solicitation might raise the eyebrows of journalism purists, Ryan said there appears to be nothing legally noncompliant about the email. Hilton Howell of Gray Television gave $17,600. Sure, Henry Luce, the iconic publisher of Time, Fortuneand Life magazines, put his thumb on the scale. A Small Light Review: Bel Powley Shines in NatGeos Sensitive Take on the Anne Frank Story, NBCU Shake-Up: Andy Lack Out at News, Mark Lazarus to Oversee Entertainment, Four More Exhausting Years? by Ashley Balcerzak, Center for Public Integrity April 3, 2018, This article first appeared on Center for Public Integrity and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.. It raises the question: Does super PAC funding, often with a hefty and opaque line-item labeled media spend,fund some of these outlets? Without it, journalists and society dont stand a chance to hold them accountable when the coverage is of disrepute. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Spark is a self-service advertising solution for Streaming TV. Our promise was to give all candidates an opportunity to voice their position share their position with our viewers. Please visit our website on a larger screen to enter our interactive world. It doesnt put them in any ethical bind whatsoever, Sinclairs vice president of strategy and policy Rebecca Hanson told the Post. In the past, Sinclair hasnt shied from using its TV stations to deliver clear political messages. So how does Sinclairs political giving compare to that of CNN and NBC television news outlets Trump routinely reviles? As a leading broadcast television company, our primary business is to engage consumers on multiple platforms with relevant and compelling news, entertainment and sports content, and to provide advertisers and businesses efficient means and value to connect with our mass audiences. Trump tweeted Monday that it was funny to watch Fake News Networks criticizing Sinclair for being biased. There are two sides to every story, and Circa is telling the other side of the story., As for Circa News national security reporter, Sara Carter, Cernovich said: Shes become a real player, thats for sure., Carter is a frequent guest on Hannity to discuss her blockbuster stories alleging various improprieties by former President Obamas national security adviser Susan Rice and fired FBI director James Comey, and casting doubt on rival media reports of possible Trump campaign collusion with Russia (often alongside pugnacious Trump attorney Jay Sekulow, with whom Carter is said to be close). FCC Hits Sinclair With Record Fine For Deception In Bid For Stations - NPR TV Stations at Sinclair Broadcast Group Drive Auto is the automotive marketing division of Sinclair, offering advertising tools, technology, and expert marketing guidance for auto dealers of all sizes. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Right-Leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group Solicits Political Donations Subscribe to Heres the Deal, our politics and from PAC, individual and soft money donors to political parties, as reported to the Federal Election Commission. Trumps presidential campaign received $1,000 from Bill Butler, Sinclairs vice president of programming, in 2016. Jeff Bezos, who owns The Washington Post, gave but $15,000over the past20 months through his PACs Blue Origin and Amazon while his net worth grew to near $200 billion. [The Washington Post, 12/22/16]. When it comes to political money, Sinclair-related contributions have generally skewed Republican for more than two decades with some notable exceptions, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of campaign finance data from the Federal Election Commission and nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. they actually represent two-year periods. Thank you. Sinclair Made Deal With Trump Campaign For Straighter Coverage. In December, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner said that the Trump campaign struck a deal with Sinclair Broadcast Group during the campaign to try and secure better media coverage, according to Politico. Media ethics experts slammed the request to the Post, with one journalism professor saying, Ive never seen anything like this. Sinclair's size, rightwing politics and close connections to Donald Trump's White House are starting to attract attention. Scan this QR code to download the app now. I found these figures wanting. Sinclair Hired Former Trump Aide As Political Analyst. On average, employees at Sinclair Broadcast Group stay with the company for 5.2 years. I think its a cool trend that you have news sites with names like Axios and Circa that almost sound like think tanks. Le Rgne Minral, 35, 5-23. Sinclairs interest in funding political campaigns extended to soliciting PAC money in January from its news directors, the Washington Post reported in February. News directors were asked to discuss the issues outlined in the memo with staffers. Follow the money on gun rights and gun control groups. Subscribe to Here's the Deal, our politics newsletter. I wrote about why I got a COVID shot:Then I was fired from my job. But a vast majority of their money has been funneled to Republican causes, including the Republican National Committee and a Mitt Romney fund-raising committee in 2012, according to Federal Election Commission disclosures. Maryland-based Sinclair Broadcast Group was fined a record $48 million by the FCC, the agency announced Wednesday. If you factor in employee donations, its a different story: Time Warner workers primarily executives overwhelmingly prefer to support Democrats. Contributions by Source of Funds Sinclair Broadcast Group Affiliates i Cycle: 2020 Showing 1 to 3 of 3 entries Contributions to 527s are not included in the Individuals, PACs, Soft (Indivs), or Soft (Orgs) columns, so the sum of these columns may not equal the Total column. In addition, Sinclair offered no stories about Clintons views about 9/11, about what role Chelsea Clinton might play in her mothers administration or about Bill Clintons campaign role. Except for the Revolving Door section, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License by OpenSecrets.org. Major news organizations buried the most damaging. December 2002. Still, some do. Sinclair affiliate KBOI used photos of Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson in relation to stories unrelated to him, according to Heavy. Open Secrets following the money in politics, OpenSecrets Following the money in politics. The first workings began around 1820. Mckesson noticed this and retweeted a link to the story with the caption: I havent been anywhere near a bank robbery. The memo is thought to be a fairly standard solicitation sent to employees of companies that have political action committees. Republicans received 64 percent of Comcast PACs contributions to candidates, or about $1.4 million. Billionaire Paul Singer, who claimed, post the CNN-Discovery merger, that his activism brought the deal about, balanced things out with his $1.7 million. Officer wounded in deadly ambush sues Black Lives Matter reads the headline, which again promotes McKesson as someone who is seemingly complicit in the crime being described. The station has also begun to carry pieces produced by Sinclairs Washington bureau about national issues and federal programs. How Sinclair Broadcasting puts a partisan tilt on trusted local news - PBS Journalism is not meant to be public relations for political parties. Two-thirds of those donations went to Republicans, and only one third to Democrats. Democratic recipients included Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Dick Durbin of Illinois $2,500 each. Right-Leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group Solicits Political Donations The spokesman said the campaign also worked with other media outlets that had affiliates, like Hearst, to try and spread their message. Fuck Ajit Pai Article Sinclair Broadcast Group Profile: Totals OpenSecrets Sinclair Tripled Its Number Of Epshteyn Segments. Individual donors gave Individual donors gave 41 large ($200+) contributions to Sinclair Broadcast Group PAC in the 2015-2016 election cycle. For example: Sinclair-owned stations and its Washington bureau scored 15 exclusive interviews with Trump over the past year, including 11 during the final three months of the campaign in critical states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio. Top Sinclair officials have also helped fuel both Republican and Democratic campaigns, of late. Politico later reported that Sinclairs vice president and director had donated to Gianforte the day after he was charged with assault.
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