Journalism elites are condemning the sale of the Baltimore Sun this month to a man seen as the head of an evil empire. Maryland-based Sinclair Corp. is one of the nation's largest owners of local television stations, and its executive chairman, David Smith, has threatened to make major changes to the paper, which is currently under private management. is high.
Sounding the alarm is part of the organizational pillars of mainstream media. The Poynter Institute is known for its PolitiFact media fact-checking work. characteristic Mr Smith's meetings with employees shortly after the acquisition were said to have “displayed his ignorance of the Sun's journalism”.
Nieman Institute at Harvard University suggest That means Smith's reign could be worse than any of the Suns' previous owners. This says a lot considering the previous owners' reputation as hedge funds managing the decline of newspapers.Demonstrates groupthink among media organizations, trade magazine editors and publishers Post Its website features critical analyzes of both the Nieman Institute and the Poynter Institute.
What is it about Sinclair and its leadership that so unsettles those who exemplify journalistic integrity? They claim that Sinclair is a conservative media conglomerate that distorts local television news.frequently quoted The case occurred in 2018, when Sinclair led dozens of anchors at stations across the country to read scripts warning about fake news and biased reporting and advocating for a balanced approach to news delivery.
To at least half the country, this might be taken as a reasonable mission statement for today's media. However, the New York Times described his remarks at the time as “forced reading,'' as if they were forced propaganda by the Trump administration.pointer called Airing of “Journalism Ethics Train Wreck.”
In an interesting contrast, the Boston Globe organized In 2018, very similar efforts were made among news organizations across the country, but these organizations remained silent or said: pointer incident, actually praised the approach. Unlike Sinclair, the Globe cited then-President Donald Trump by name, alleging what they perceived to be his “sustained assault on press freedom.”
Notably, the news cycle at the time was driven primarily by debunked reports of collusion with Russia, which sent the media into a frenzy and sparked a confrontation with the Trump administration. It is. Globe editors contacted news organizations across the country, urging them to publish similar editorials. The result was that hundreds of newspapers parroted their message. So much for concerns about and focus on the integrity of local news and commentary.
Perhaps even more telling of the media's double standards is the oblique reporting that Smith met with Baltimore Sun employees on January 16, where he outlined his vision for the media. Dew. The meeting is said to have lasted two hours, and Mr Smith said: recorded It was then provided to other news outlets, who selectively highlighted his quotes to create a negative narrative.
A frequently cited source is the competing Baltimore Banner Company, whose owner is a former Democratic state representative. The Washington Post's headline is “Baltimore Sun employees clash with new owners,'' but there are no Sun employees available to assess whether a “conflict'' actually occurred. The Post article goes on to portray Mr. Smith as more concerned with profitability than with journalism.
more complete and unfiltered account The new owner's aspirations come from the Baltimore Sun's own Jan. 20 article. Mr. Smith has brought in prominent owner-partners, but their investment in the venture and the amount of the stake were not disclosed. Conservative commentator Armstrong Williams will assist Smith in leading and managing the Sun. His wide-ranging statements demonstrated a strong interest in the paper and gave the impression of a nonpartisan tone. He considers himself and Smith “the next custodians of this paper.” He seems to want to further develop investigative reporting that will restore trust in local news.
The most notable is the Baltimore Sun, which probably won a Pulitzer Prize. article About the corrupt book deal that led to the resignation and subsequent prison sentence of Baltimore's mayor in 2019.
One can make a case about the conservative leanings of Mr. Smith and Mr. Williams, but more serious examples of left-wing media bias are discovered every day, from cable TV news platforms to local market newspapers.
What's remarkable, and what might actually bring newspapers back to life in Baltimore and elsewhere, is the ability to end partisan politically driven media coverage and help society emerge from this current journalistic dark age. It is to do so. Rather than viewing new ownership through a cynical partisan lens, this is a huge opportunity for the Sun to live up to its motto of “light for all.”
Jim Pettit worked for former Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich (R) and was a regular contributor to the Baltimore Sun's op-ed page.
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