This is a truly frightening story.
Far-rightwing media giant Sinclair Broadcasting has won approval from the FCC to buy Tribune Media. It will control the news feed into 72% of all homes, writes Jaisal Noor reporting from Baltimore.
Jaisal Noor writes:
“The Trump administration’s FCC recently changed local media ownership rules, paving the way for Sinclair Broadcasting to buy Tribune Media for $3.9 billion dollars. When the deal goes through, Sinclair has access to 72 percent of households nationwide. The Hunt Valley-based Sinclair is the largest distributor of local news in the country, and forces its stations to run commentary from pundits such as former Trump aide Boris Epshteyn and frequently offers up news with an unabashed, pro-administration spin (“Did the FBI have a personal vendetta in pursuing the Russia investigation of President Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn?”).
“While Sinclair consolidates its grip on the nation’s local TV market, in Baltimore, Sinclair is ramping up its local coverage with Project Baltimore on local affiliate Fox45, which aims to “save” Baltimore schools by bashing them. Project Baltimore’s propaganda is subtler than Sinclair’s employing click-bait headlines, skewed statistics, and half-truths to push a narrative that portrays Baltimore schools as beyond redemption and casts Project Baltimore as coming to the rescue.
“Its austere logo, in red, white, and blue offers up the tagline, “Save Our Schools.”
“Although Project Baltimore launched in March, recent stories have gone viral raising its profile and influence. A Nov. 8 report from Chris Papst titled “13 Baltimore City High Schools, zero students proficient in math” reported that over a dozen Baltimore City High Schools had zero students proficient in the math PARCC test—a test that’s part of the Common Core curriculum, aimed at evaluating students and teachers. Project Baltimore’s story was picked up by national right-wing outlets such as Breitbart and Fox News.
“While Papst’s reporting is technically accurate—13 city schools do indeed have no students that are math proficient—the story does not mention that in 2016 some of the highest performing schools in other parts of the state (including Montgomery County’s elite Walt Whitman High School) also have few if any students who scored proficient. Also not mentioned is that the PARCC test is not aimed at measuring achievement, rather measuring proficiency with Common Core curriculum. More than half the states administering the PARCC test have stopped using it due to concerns over the effectiveness of the test in measuring academic achievement and the burden it places on students. The test is also usually given on computers, which many Baltimore students lack access to at home or in their classrooms.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
This is a must-see explanation of how Sinclair Broadcasting co–opts local TV stations so national news looks like it is local news. The explainer is John Oliver. In this case, also note some of the dismissive comments. I think that other major media markets will have carefully produced attacks on public schools, and perhaps public universities as well. https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/07/03/last_week_tonight_with_john_oliver_sinclair_broadcast_groups_right_wing_views.html
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BEWARE of PROPAGANDA from the deformers. Litmus test: What they say is just the opposite.
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Reagan eliminated the Fairness Doctrine and Clinton enacted the Telecommunications Act of 1996 which allowed for a few giant corporations to dominate the media. One of the side effects of these deregulatory acts was to turn talk radio into 99% far right wing spew mongers such as Limbaugh, Hannity, Mike Savage, Mike Pence, all their clones across the nation, etc., ad (very) nauseam. Things were already bad and a few giant corporations, about 6, controlled the media. Now it will be even worse on steroids. I have depended on the Internet to hear and read progressive voices that counter all the rightwing/libertarian/Ayn Randian/tea party garbage and lies. Will these voices be silenced and derailed, too? Diane Ravitch’s precious blog has been a source of facts and information to debunk all the reformer myths and charter cheerleading.
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So what? If people don’t like what they hear or see all they have to do is change the channel. The left wing has notoriously controlled the media for generations with a few notable exceptions. There are horrible people in both camps.
I once again need to remind everyone that the enemies of public education exist in both parties. It’s not just a Republican thing. The Democrats in NYS have been pretty bad, too. In fact, with Democrats in complete control of the Assembly and with a Democrat governor for two decades, their has been a string of pro-charter, anti-public teacher and fervent testing legislation passed. Plus, while the Board of Regents has swung back to a mainly pro-teacher body, the same Democratic Party controlled Assembly appointed some of the most anti-public school Regents this state has ever seen.
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When you write “The left wing has notoriously controlled the media for generations with a few notable exceptions.” I think you confuse the terms left wing…media with free press. Much like Dear Leader and his Fox-drunk minions, you seem to think terms like objective and evidence- and science-based lead that may lead to uncomfortable conclusions are politically biased. Helps to explain the mess we’re in.
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No, I don’t think that I have. The right has long criticized the media as left wing. But, again, all you have to do is change the channel, especially in this day and age of 500 plus channels, internet stations, etc. Sinclair may or may not leave a lot to be desired and I certainly don’t agree with any anti-teacher, anti-public schools, pro-charter school nonsense. But, I also don’t get worked up about MSNBC, CNN, etc being more liberal than my tastes.
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Fed Up Teacher: You can’t change the radio station because talk radio is 99% far right wing monsters. There is NPR but NPR is not really left wing, it’s not really talk radio and it is under attack from the GOP and right wingers. The Internet is still a free for all and you can find real progressives, true liberals and alternatives to all the right wing glop. “MSNBC, CNN, etc being more liberal than my tastes.” Yikes, CNN and MSNBC aren’t really that liberal or progressive, they are just not far right wing crazy as Fox News is. Many years ago MSNBC fired Phil Donohue for criticizing the Iraq war. MSNBC got rid of Ed Schultz and Cenk U.
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You mistake establishment Democrats for “left wing”. It’s a common mistake – and one promoted by the establishment Democrats themselves. But there is nothing “left wing” about corporate propaganda or Democratic policies that consistently favor Wall Street and big corporations over the interests of ordinary working Americans.
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Reminds me of Ambrose Bierce’s most succinct definition in The Devil’s Dictionary: impunity, n., wealth.
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Should be required reading for all!
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I already have Sinclair Broadcasting here in the Pensacola area. While they do not have an investigative reporter, they have covered stories related to charter fraud as well as an FBI raid on one the charters. The reporters themselves tend to present balanced stories without bias and editorializing. They recently reported on the criticisms of the tax bill as representing the interests of corporations and the 1%. The network has been fair in its treatment of both Obama and Trump. However, they do run some conservative leaning shows early in the morning, late at night and on the weekend. I have never seen any of them as I have no wish to raise my blood pressure.
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PRAVDA.
for those too young to recognize it, literally and metaphorically, look it up.
President / right wing controlled media + Congressional redistricting + new tax law + validation of white supremicists + disdain for President Obama + PRIVITIZATION and DEREGULATION OF EVERYTHING + science deniers + anti-intellectual + blame the victims (no jobs, no health care, underfunded education, charter mills) + APATHY (did you call your Congressfolks about tax bill?) = an OFFICIAL caste system and demise of democracy, seriously.
(over the top? following president’s tactics with secret committee investigating FBI to disparage TrumpRussia and deflect news – – Oh Wait – they won’t have to because THEY WILL CONTROL THE MEDIA and claim the others are fake.
Fed Up Teacher – seriously? NY and Regents (who by the way have changed) are the least of your worries. You should be more worried that that NY Democratic Assembly, Senate, Governor, and courts have NO VOICE on the national scene – THAT is scary.
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p.s. map of sinclair stations – targeted states is no accident – control of formerly Democrat held states pretty much takes NY and California largetst poupulations in country out of play. http://sbgi.net/tv-stations/
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For many years my husband had a small media company that produced car shows for car dealerships in the New York City area. He often bought time late at night or on Sunday morning on major networks for a very reasonable price. This was more than five years ago so I do not know what the current rates are. My point is has anyone every tried to produce a show with a progressive agenda that can be shown on a Sinclair station? Does Sinclair block such shows or are there no progressive type propaganda shows?
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RIGHT ON TARGET with years of the exact reformer game already in progress: “aim[ing] to “save” Baltimore schools by bashing them.”
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