NewsON is the nations largest aggregator of local news content. Sinclair and its affiliates have a history of airing conservative-leaning reporting and commentary, and its executives have donated to Republicans and Republican causes. To figure this out, we are in desperate need of a real-time database for super PAC spending,along with transparency on which media and platform owners fund lobbyists. 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. example, the 2002 election cycle runs from January 1, 2001 to document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Use the unsubscribe link in the emails we send to opt out at any time. While Fox News broadcasts lean conservative, the PAC of its holding company, 21st Century Fox, donates liberally to Democrats. Sign up for our newsletter to track moneys influence on U.S. elections and public policy. 05/01/23 2:58 PM EDT, Article Sinclair and its affiliates have a history of airing. Please visit our website on a larger screen to enter our interactive world. Democratic recipients included Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Dick Durbin of Illinois $2,500 each. Many in Congress believe that broadcasters need more time to repack their stations, and more money to be fully reimbursed for their related expenses, he wrote. [New York magazine, 5/25/17; Politico, 6/27/17]. The reporter, who is also a correspondent for Attkissons show, asked a softball question about how Trumps philosophical differences with Trudeau would affect cooperation on trade and terrorism, instead of asking him about reports spreading at the time that then-national security adviser Michael Flynn may have violated federal law. The organization paid more than $315,000 to Rowland Strategies, a Fells Point consulting firm, while law firm DLA Piper received about $61,000, filings show. Full transparency of political funding allows journalists to hold newsroom and social media platform owners to account. 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. [Politico, 7/18/17]. ; $10,000 to Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.; and more than $7,000 to Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., in 2017. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Sinclair defended the promos as non-partisan and its chairman was defiant, calling criticism "nonsense." The company doubled down, yanking a $25,000 donation to the National Press Photographers. The countrys largest owner of local TV stations, the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which reaches over a third of homes across the nation, wants to get even bigger by merging with the Tribune Media Company. David Zaslav, who led the merger with CNN and Discovery, donated over $240,000. On May 8, CNN reported that Sinclair Broadcast Group, Americas biggest owner of local TV stations, has agreed to buy Tribune Media for $43.50 per share, valuing the deal at $3.9 billion. CNN also noted that Tribune operates dozens of TV stations across the country, and has a cable channel, WGN America; a 32% stake in the CareerBuilder web site; and a 31% stake in the Food Network. [CNN.com, 5/8/17]. Mr. Obama has called Mr. Ayers somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8 years old.. Sinclair Media Networks (SMN) is the division of Sinclair that reaches the companys entire broadcast audience across its national footprint. Our teams make the critical difference in how we perform and their skills, talents and determination separate us from our competitors. [Media Matters, 10/2/15], Wash. Post: Sinclair And Its Executives Have Been Consistent Financial Contributors To Republican Candidates." Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Transparency is what journalists and journalism have long been about. McCarthy to Russian reporter: I do not support what your country has done to Facebook privacy settlement: Who is eligible for a payment? 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. Laurene Powell Jobs donated over $2 million. Subscribe to Here's the Deal, our politics newsletter. So were sharing some with you.. What does media constitute? we are sinclair We believe Sinclair Broadcast Group's people are our most important asset. Free States mission is to provide the federal government, along with state and local agencies, a full suite of targeted digital marketing and advertising solutions to help government agencies communicate with the American public effectively and efficiently. Our system is awash in billions of political dollars. A Montana Sinclair Affiliate Did Not Air The Recording Of The Gianforte Assault, And ASinclair VP Donated To Him. There were no equivalent must-run stories examining Trumps refusal to release his medical or tax records or about questions surrounding his charitable foundation. Trumps presidential campaign received $1,000 from Bill Butler, Sinclairs vice president of programming, in 2016. All Rights Reserved. And while most users found no faults with the story, they did notice that the accompanying photo that of civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson was not at all an accurate representation of the facts. Comedian John Oliver aired a segment last year critical of what he considers the companys right-wing bent, such as cutting local news segments to instead run commentary from Sinclairs chief political analyst, Boris Epshteyn, a former Trump aide. Journalists shower Hillary Clinton with campaign cash, 64 percent of Comcast PACs contributions, 60 percent of Comcasts federal-level PAC contributions, according to Center for Responsive Politics data, Pondering state reparations for tribes, a council documents history of harms, The EPA wants to broaden a ban on a deadly chemical on store shelves, Protecting peoples health in the era of global warming, How drag bans fit into larger attacks on transgender rights, Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. But specific instruction isnt needed. Company vice presidents J. Duncan Smith and Frederick G. Smith favor Republicans, donating more than $12,000 to Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb. A Sinclair Affiliate Used APhoto Of Black Lives Matter Activist DeRay McKesson In Relation To Stories He Had Nothing To Do With. It was a standard package, but an extended package, extended story where youd hear more directly from candidate on the issue instead of hearing all the spin and all the rhetoric, Livingston said. Sinclair affiliate KBOI used photos of Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson in relation to stories unrelated to him, according to Heavy. But Sinclair is raising concerns among. Something we can likely all agree on is that trust in media is at an all-time low and Americans want reliable, nonpartisan news. Article 12% of Sinclair Broadcast Group employees are Hispanic or Latino. Stadiumis the ultimate destination for the modern-day sports fan. Common Cause is part of a coalition of groups that oppose Sinclairs pending acquisition of Tribune Media, which has been made possible by regulatory easing. According to the Center for Responsive Politics (Open Secrets), the Sinclair Broadcast Group has donated $1,143,508 or 80% to Republican candidates since 1994. Cookie Notice Privacy Policy. Afsaneh Beschloss, NPR Board of Directors, gave $614,300. For the 2018 election cycle, so far Sinclair has given 75 percent of its donations to Republican candidates. In 2015, Sinclair gave discredited former CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson her own show to air on Sinclairs stations. This item was originally published on May 8 but has been updated with new developments and reports. Already a broadcasting behemoth, Sinclair is looking to expand: 72 percent of American households would be covered by a Sinclair station if Sinclair acquires Tribune Media a deal the Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission are reviewing. Right-Leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group Solicits Political Donations. Get a weekly dive into inequality in America with our Watchdog newsletter delivered to your inbox. Among Democrats, Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida got $2,500 and Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana received $1,500. The New York Times reported that Sinclair is trying to pull strings within the Trump administration for a favorable outcome. The lack of transparency in super PAC donations loomed as we scoured the FEC database. The spokesman said the campaign also worked with other media outlets that had affiliates, like Hearst, to try and spread their message. 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. Sinclair has come under scrutiny for reportedly ordering local stations to run stories favorable of President Trump. Time Warner, CNNs parent company, switches from donating to one side or the other: its PAC gave more money to federal-level Democrats during six out of past 10 election cycles. The company also has ties to President Donald Trump and his administration, covered him very favorably during his presidential campaign, and hired one of his former aides as an analyst. Sens. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. [HBO, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, 7/2/17]. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. was founded in 1986, went public in 1995 and is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol SBGI. Amid growing political, legal and financial pressure, Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. late Tuesday revised its plan to broadcast a documentary critical of Sen. John Kerry's anti-Vietnam war activities. Follow the money on gun rights and gun control groups. Trump tweeted Monday that it was funny to watch Fake News Networks criticizing Sinclair for being biased. 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. 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. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. was founded in 1986, went public in 1995 and is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol SBGI. 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. [1] Sign up to receive our freeWatchdog email newsletter, a weekly investigation in inequality from Public Integrity. The government needs to catch up and revamp how we track media money in politics. This summer, students from Tufts and Harvard universities spent time digging through the Federal Election Commission database with me. 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. Kushner said that as part of the deal, Sinclair would broadcast their Trump interviews across the country without commentary. From the December 16 article: Donald Trump's campaign struck a deal with Sinclair Broadcast Group during the campaign to try and secure better media coverage, his son-in-law Jared Kushner told business executives Friday in Manhattan. Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit OpenSecrets. The NPPA has received $11,000 in recent . Thank you. The Bloomberg, Powell Jobsand even Murdoch setups are now bizarrely comforting: At least we know where they stand, and the money is domestic. Sinclair Broadcasting and Nexstar executives give to the National Association of Broadcasters. Charles Schumer of New York and Brian Schatz of Hawaii pocketed $10,000, the most the PAC could legally give. The National Desk (TND) provides viewers with real-timenational news and regional stories. That's how Putin wins. 11/30/22 2:13 PM EST, Article [Media Matters, 2/13/17]. 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. Pamela Wasserstein, owner of Vox and New York magazine, gave $8,100. It doesnt put them in any ethical bind whatsoever, Sinclairs vice president of strategy and policy Rebecca Hanson told the Post. Sinclair Broadcast Group executives said they will bring resources and stability to KOMO TV and 19 other television stations they'll get by acquiring Seattle-based Fisher Communications. The Msage mine is an old 19th-century iron exploitation, located on the Saint-Pierre-de-Msage territory, just at the end of the Romanche valley, 25 km south-east of Grenoble. [Politico, 7/10/17], Sinclair Correspondent Was One Of Only Two Reporters Called On By Trump At February Press Conference. Mr. Epshteyn managed the surrogate operation of the White House and Administration as well as appeared as an on-air spokesman for the Administration. Sinclair, either directly or through its venture subsidiaries, makes equity investments in strategic companies. Sinclair announced in April that it hired Boris Epshteyn, a former Trump official, as its chief political analyst. From the April 17 press release: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI) is pleased to announce that Boris Epshteyn, an accomplished commentator and strategist, has joined the company as chief political analyst and will provide analysis and insight on major political stories. This fake-news promo script was recently read on-air by dozens of local television newscast teams working for stations owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group a phenomenon Deadspin stitched into a video that this weekend went viral. Public Integrity doesnt have paywalls and doesnt accept advertising so that our investigative reporting can have the widest possible impact on addressing inequality in the U.S. Our work is possible thanks to support from people like you. Through podcasts, Sinclair continues to evolve the art of reporting and storytelling to engage with audiences worldwide: from sports, to entertainment, to news and true crime. She owns The Atlantic, could still be the largest shareholder of Disney/ABCand funds many digital news nonprofits through the American Journalism Project, which her Emerson Collective helped to create. From the May 3 article: Sinclair, which has little name recognition but beams local television stations into a quarter of American homes, covers plenty of standard local news, including fires, shootings and traffic. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time. But here is where it fell short. 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. See the details. Mckesson noticed this and retweeted a link to the story with the caption: I havent been anywhere near a bank robbery. That leaves $1 billion unaccounted for. 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. The president singled out CNN and NBC. Prior to joining The White House, Mr. Epshteyn served as Communications Director for the 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee. 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. 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. 05/01/23 11:08 AM EDT, Article Some of their giving has been to Democrats, mostly for state and local races in Maryland. NEW YORK The $3.9 billion buyout of Tribune Media by Sinclair collapsed Thursday, ending a bid to create a massive media juggernaut that could have rivaled the reach of Fox News. 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. December 2002. 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.. George Soros, a major donor to Wikipediawho funds many new digital media outlets through his Open Society Foundation (see our nonprofit U.S. Media Index), gave $3,679,800. Democrats are wading in to the fray and demanding answers over. Sinclair Broadcast Group Intends To BuyTribune Media For Nearly $4 Billion. A story earlier this month in the New York Times said that Sinclair requires its stations to run stories that lean right. For permission to reprint for commercial uses, We believe in serving the communities where we live and work through meaningful connections, trusted reporting, and principled journalism.. Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit OpenSecrets. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Using the original ownership index, we tracked the political donations at 90 of the top U.S. news organizations. TheCenter for Public Integrityis a nonprofit investigative news organization focused on inequality in the U.S. We do not accept advertising or charge people to read our work. If you factor in employee donations, its a different story: Time Warner workers primarily executives overwhelmingly prefer to support Democrats. Sinclair Broadcast Groups Long Form Sales Division is designed to provide a one-stop solution to paid programming across all Sinclair television stations. Maryland-based Sinclair Broadcast Group was fined a record $48 million by the FCC, the agency announced Wednesday. 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. Data for the current election cycle was released by the Federal Election Commission on A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization . And while it already reaches over a third of homes across the nation, the country's. 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. Craig Newmark has donated close to $100 million to journalism schools, content moderation research, new digital media outletsand journalists, as have Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, and big foundations like the Knight Foundation, Heritage Foundation, Open Markets Instituteand Pierre Omidyars Democracy Fund. The FCC must block this merger [with Tribune Media.]. What will Donald Trump offer the African American community better than Hillary Clinton can? And: He has talked a lot about job creation. 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). The message includes a disclaimer that donations are voluntary, and that employees will not be punished for not donating. The names of the super PACs (Win Red, Dirt Road, Fair Fight, Follow the North Star, Security is Strength) are almost comical, even if the totals are gobsmacking. Susan Wojcicki, a major donor to Wikipedia and CEO of YouTube,donated only $8,000through Google Netpac. Transparency matters. 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. DC The company is currently awaiting federal approval of a proposed $3.9 billion buyout of Tribune Media, which would add 42 more local television . Eligible employees were encouraged to contribute to the broadcaster's political action committee. So how does Sinclairs political giving compare to that of CNN and NBC television news outlets Trump routinely reviles? But it has also used its 173 television stations to advance a mostly right-leaning agenda since the presidency of George W. Bush. There is no corporate pressure to participate and no consequence for not participating. 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. During 2015 and 2016, 45 percent of Fox PACs donations to candidates went to Democrats, according to Center for Responsive Politics data. Craig Newmark has donated close to $100 million to journalism schools, content moderation research, new digital media outlets and journalists, as have Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, and big. His Bottom Line with Boris segments already air three times a week, but will now triple in frequency, featuring a mix of his political commentary as well as talk backs with local stations and interviews with members of Congress. 1100 13th Street, NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 857-0044 The missive from Sinclair exec Amy connects Sinclairs policy preferences to the activities of the PAC, which sends contributions to politicians. Sinclair Tripled Its Number Of Epshteyn Segments. I dont see how this ends well. Contributions to 527s are not included in the Individuals, PACs, Soft (Indivs), or Soft (Orgs) columns, so the sum For the 2016 election cycle, Sinclairs PAC made $82,375 in donations to federal candidates. CNN in March reported that some anchors and news staffers felt uncomfortable with Sinclairs fake news campaign, which seemed to parrot the frequent fake news rants of Trump. On May 8, Sinclair announced its plan to buy Tribune Media Company and its 42 television stations for $3.9 billion a merger made possible by the Trump administration relaxing regulations on broadcast ownership." The plan is to keep the US politically divided. In the last election cycle, the brothers donated tens of thousands of dollars to Republican causes, including at least $6,000 from Frederick Smith to a super PAC supporting Mr. Trump and $20,000 from David Smith to the National Republican Congressional Committee. Saying that Mr. Obamas supporters had sent 93,000 e-mails to the Sinclair broadcasting company for carrying the advertisement, Tommy, a campaign spokesman, said, Other stations that follow Sinclairs lead should expect a similar response from people who dont want the political discourse cheapened with these false, negative attacks. [The New York Times, 8/27/08], Sinclair Gave Conservative Conspiracy Theorist Sharyl Attkisson Her Own Show. White House to end COVID-19 vaccine requirement for international travelers, Adams rebukes Texas governor for targeting cities with Black mayors to bus asylum seekers, First Republic fallout: Democrats fume as regulators bail out yet another failed bank, Yellen says drop-dead date for debt ceiling is June 1, Hunter Biden appears in court for paternity case, Big birds are having fewer chicks as climate changes, AI chatbot outperforms human doctors in responding to patient questions, Who will replace Tucker Carlson at Fox News? For context, OpenSecrets reported that political spending in the 2020 election reached $14 billion, the most expensive election ever. 2023 Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. All rights reserved. The Sinclair reporter, along with the other conservative reporter Trump called on, were criticized by fellow journalists for not asking about Flynn. A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization, 1100 13th Street, NW, Suite 800 Frederick Smith, who runs the billion dollar Sinclair media empire that once offered to do anything for Trump, must not have meant with cash, donating $6,800 to the GOP and $5,800 to Democratic Sen. ChuckSchumer. The story claims that two alleged robbers arrived to find the doors of the bank locked. Barry Diller, owner of The Daily Beast and Investopedia, gave $120,000. 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. Scan this QR code to download the app now. In May, I published anownership indexof the top 176 U.S. media organizations. The KECI station manager told HuffPost that the station did not have specific instructions or any instruction from Sinclair regarding the Gianforte story. Individual donors gave Individual donors gave 41 large ($200+) contributions to Sinclair Broadcast Group PAC in the 2015-2016 election cycle. In 2008, Sinclair aired an ad from a conservative group smearing then-Sen. Obama by linking him to the founder of the Weather Underground, Bill Ayers, according to The New York Times. DC 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. The sharing of biased and false news has become all too common on social media., More alarming, some media outlets publish these same fake stories without checking facts first., Unfortunately, some members of the media use their platforms to push their own personal bias and agenda.. See the details. [The New York Times, 5/3/17]. 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. That trend continued into the 2017-2018 cycle, where Democrats are pulling in 53 percent of Time Warners PAC money to candidates, or almost $64,000. The Sinclair executive referred in the email to unpopular deregulatory initiatives, undertaken by the Federal Communications Commission and chairman Ajit Pai in recent months. Journalism is not meant to be public relations for political parties. Sinclair clearly has a good campaign finance compliance lawyer, he said. Republicans received 64 percent of Comcast PACs contributions to candidates, or about $1.4 million. and from PAC, individual and soft money donors to political parties, as reported to the Federal Election Commission.

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