Propaganda used to be a dirty word in this country. Long associated with authoritarian regimes in countries like Russia and China, propaganda as it has been understood over the decades meant centralized control over the way a nation’s citizens access the news — not just the news about the country they live in, but about that country’s place in the world.
Well... we like to think there's only one truth at a time, but that's not actually the case. You may know the sea is green while I may know it to be blue. However, when I was young, there was an attempt by responsible reporters to report unbiased facts and not opinions and slants. It's pretty well gone now. We live in a "photoshopped" world. 🥹 In the albeit silly example I gave, the reporter would state the disagreement, the people and places involved, and not report the opinion of the media outlet owner. Reporters like them would get fired today.
Thank you for bringing this forward. For too long, this hostile takeover of local news media, which most people trust more than any national news source. Sinclair forces its presenters (not journalists) to spout the right wing party propaganda or be fired. Opinion is presented as news. This, I believe, has laid the groundwork for the current proliferation of misinformation in our society, and most consumers are none the wiser.
Unfortunately the Fairness Doctrine applied only to broadcast programs. Most news is cable and The Fairness Doctrine wouldn't be applicable anyway. We need more technical solutions for a cabled and streamed world.
I've been wondering about that. Hoping some smart journalist (one of the 11 left /s) or politicians will investigate. But I think after the Fairness went cut for cable "news" it still held for broadcast for a while.
The problem now is streaming eating Cable's lunch, so Broadcast, which became dependent on cable when antennas died out, is even smaller AND google (and META to a smaller degree) have Obliterated Advertising for any traditional media, from broadcast to cable to the newspapers (local And national), magazines, Radio, etc. Because when you advertise on Google, you Only pay when someone Clicks on your ad, and the ad is only shown to people who search or Have searched for your exact type of business. Down to the exact 40 mile radius where you live, if you're brick and mortar. Or to hundreds of thousands of "keyword" driven potential customers if you're national.
It's incredibly effective advertising.
So ALL the local businesses that Were running ads in the local papers, or on local News slots, or local Cable shows and news, have switched to Online ads. Which is basically, google, with a side of META.
That's it.
I've seen a dozen regional, respected magazines fail in the 8 or 10 years since google Ads showed up, Just in my tiny Antiques industry.
And all the local papers but two have bitten the dust. And one of those just sold to the LA Times parent company.
Main Point Being, the Monopolies, especially Tech in this case, are extincting Investigative Journalism. The Fourth Estate is being couped, just like the Supreme Court.
Please subscribe and encourage your friends to subscribe to whatever newspapers, magazines, radio stations, you believe are actually Investigating and Reporting as if the Fairness Doctrine still has meaning. Like AP, an org of journalists. The Guardian? The New Yorker? The Atlantic? Democracy Now (biased on the side of Equality and Justice!)
And don't we still have to support either the NYT and/or Wapo, Chicago Trib, or Miami Herald, Phil Enquirer? The Globe? LA Times or SF Chron? The last organizations big enough to DO investigative journalism - To Speak Truth to Power?
Ads are almost Gone. Subscriptions are a "who needs that?" They are Dying.
I wish I could answer your question, but I have no idea. Perhaps someone else has researched this.
Here in Maine, the only station Sinclair has gotten it's dirty claws into has been the Channel 13, WGME, affiliated with CBS. We no longer get even the local channels (Channel 6, affiliated with NBC and channel 8, affiliated with ABC) via antennae, but through cable.
Seems the Fairness Doctrine died. I thought so, but it's so hard to believe that even a Communications & Chinese Studies major like myself is still foggy about it. But see this article from 2017. https://billmoyers.com/story/sinclair-tribune-merger-rotten-deal/
We can trace this all back to the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, which then brought us Rush Limbaugh and the increased polarization of our politics, which continues to worsen. As I recall Obama and other liberals claimed that we didn't need the FD, we simply needed to encourage diversity in media ownership. As usual, though, where it's a high-minded aspiration vs. money, money wins, and conservative Deep Pockets prevail. A restoration of the FD would be hard, but we can see where the alternative has lead.
Felonious Trump has a great advantage with his cult-serving media outlets. In Weimar Germany in the 1920s and 30s, the Nazis had to go through the expense of creating their own propaganda outlet, the Nazi newspaper, Der The Völkischer Beobachter. Felonious was spared that expense because greed-and-ideological-driven media moguls did the work for him. He gets his propaganda machine for free.
Twitter, possibly the big liar's single most potent free media weapon, tolerated him through J6. What has ensued is epic—one more iteration of his Heads I win, tails you lose career.
The Nazis also ended up distributing free radios tuned to one station: their propaganda.
Now on Netflix; Cast & crew IMDbPro
Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial
TV Mini Series 2024 TV-MA
Chronicles Hitler's ascent to power, his regime's use of propaganda, censorship, and anti-Semitic policies, as well as the eventual downfall of the Nazi leadership.
I've been watching the Hitler doc and am amazed the parallels drawn to Trump and his cult. I suspect the doc was written or edited to emphasize this but it's still dismaying to be shown how it all syncs up.
Exactly, I have been experiencing the same reaction.
And All In with Chris Haynes on MSNBC just did a segment they call "Freaks and Geeks," featuring some of the insufferable neo-fascist dunces the GOP is running down ballot, same syndromes, with a crackpot American spin.
Most of Sinclair's nearly 300 TV outlets service smaller markets, supposedly 40% of America has access to a Sinclair affiliate. This helps explain the large division between points of view between Urban and "Rural" America. In radio, Clear Channel is the right-wing monster. Recall how Clear Channel (and other radio owners) banned the Dixie Chicks who said, after the illegal Iraq invasion of 2003, that they were ashamed that George W. Bush was our President.
Here in Baltimore, David Smith and his family have been trying to affect Democrat Baltimore City politics by putting forth Ballot Initiatives to reduce the City Council and reduce the power of the Mayor. He recently financed and supported former mayor Sheila Dixon's attempt to become Mayor again after losing her position for stealing gift cards meant for poor people. Sinclair Broadcasting is located nearby in Baltimore County, where Smith lives. He recently purchased The Baltimore Sun and his so-called business partner Armstrong Williams, who Smith
sold multiple TV stations to at ROCK BOTTOM prices to achieve the appearance of minority ownership, writes ridiculously dog-whistley conservative word-salad opinions and now subscribers are fleeing. Other Smith family members have turned the area into Restauranistan, where they have opened several restaurants under the Atlas name. I don't know if they are merely just typical right wing fascists, money launderers, or what, but they are big into using their TV stations and other media to promote lies to benefit 1%-ers like themselves. Boycott. Boycott. Boycott.
I just commented also. What Smith and Williams have done to The Baltimore Sun is shameful and you are correct - subscribers are crying FOUL - and then fleeing, furious at the Op Eds that are BS. Alas. It's really sad to see the paper go downhill like this. Thank you for posting about how bad it is.
With the establishment media covering this election cycle as if it’s normal, reporting on Trump as if normal, not reporting on the aims of project 2025 taken up by most ‘Republicans’—while organized propaganda is happening to this degree—I can’t find much hope. And thank you greatly for your reporting . You are a gift to us Lucien.
Yesterday on MSNBC, Nicolle Wallace and her panel described what is in Project 2025 and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) has formed a group to counter what is written there. So broaden your outlook, have faith, and know there are a lot of people who are doing what they can to let people know what we are up against. One of the other responses lists groups to join to get the word out. I want to live in a country that's close to what I grew up with - a democracy - so I'm going to help any way I can. You can too.
Sinclair owns a CBS station (WGME) in Portland, Maine. I found out about the tie between Sinclair & WGME a few years ago. I wouldn't watch it if it was the only TV station available. Interesting that it's located in southern Maine where the influence of the Repugnant party is minimal. Sinclair may be trying to change that but I don't see it being particularly effective.
Jun 18·edited Jun 18Liked by Lucian K. Truscott IV
You hit upon the insidious nature of Sinclair-owned and operated local stations/channels.
(a) Many are also affiliates of ABC, CBS, and NBC giving them the appearance of being legit news organizations (b) while playing upon the fact the reporters and hosts are locals.
Seen many segments including Deadline White House of the exact same script from scores of Sinclair stations used in reporting the same news. That is one of key tenets of agitprop, repeat, repeat, repeat (morning noon and evening news) amplify, amplify, amplify. multiply, multiply, multiply. Think State Teevee in the flic V is for Vendetta. Yes, fiction due to few having experienced the non-fiction in places around the globe.
And beyond Sinclair are the broadcast and cable networks for the office of the President by referring to a president only by their last name as if saying the word president is a deadly sin. This applies to R and D presidents, no exceptions. Same journos would do nearly anything to land a one-on-one interview w/a President and ya can bet the ranch and your first born s/he would never evah adress the President by her/his last name during the interview.
Dropping a title or rank is not only bad form it's a sign of seeing self as superior.
Referring to a person only by their last name is not something Mums taught their children. Doing so dishonors and disrespects the individual and the individual's ancestors. In simple terms, it's SPIT.
We can fight back against the lies, even without owning any media. You can share accurate information about pro-democracy candidates by writing to voters. Sign up for the election campaigns you want and write postcards when and where you want.
These groups have campaigns available that do not give tight deadlines for getting postcards done.
Conservative used to mean fiscally conservative/cheap. (Yes, I do know the USA was set up to benefit the wealthy. But they used to throw us a bone or two.) Now it means fascism which means very big (powerful, based on cronyism and strict obedience to the dictator) government in total control of everything and everyone. Nazi style propaganda works well on the parts of a population that are too lazy to think for themselves, and who crave hate targets to excuse their own failures. It's known that trump studied Hitler and Nazis closely and, to this day, supports all-things Nazi.
I have serious doubts about Trump ever studying anything seriously in his life, but clearly he has mimicked the Nazis. Maybe it just comes naturally like his understanding of science has from his uncle having been a prof at MIT?
I live in Seattle, where Sinclair bought the news outlet KOMO that broadcasts from the ABC affiliate. That was back in 2013, and while its longtime anchors assured viewers that their coverage and tone would remain the same it was still forced to air news packages of conservative leaning content. After 2020, with the pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests and growing homelessness the station's relentless focus is on a dystopian city rendered lawless by the left. Not as belligerent as Fox but definitely more shrill.
Jun 18·edited Jun 18Liked by Lucian K. Truscott IV
I expect nothing less from these traitorous cowards,an all out propaganda war against our democracy is the only way they have to win ,and the media is an accomplice in this fascist tactic !No policies that benefit the majority of Americans so they must resort to distortion and lies if they expect to win, and again the media whitewashes the truth about the lies they are peddling!What has happened to the American 🇺🇸 press that I grew up with and respected ?Theyhave sold out the country entirely and for what? To keep a demented criminal out of prison and place him in the White House to do the bidding of his Pimps in the elitist class as well as bowing down to dictators who would destroy America!🇺🇸
We need again to regulate how many media outlets a particular company can own.
What about a law that says only true facts can be broadcasted..wouldn’t that be a novel idea
Well... we like to think there's only one truth at a time, but that's not actually the case. You may know the sea is green while I may know it to be blue. However, when I was young, there was an attempt by responsible reporters to report unbiased facts and not opinions and slants. It's pretty well gone now. We live in a "photoshopped" world. 🥹 In the albeit silly example I gave, the reporter would state the disagreement, the people and places involved, and not report the opinion of the media outlet owner. Reporters like them would get fired today.
"Alternative facts."
Kelly Conway
you forgot the "/s" (for snark. I mean sarcasm)
What would the MSM talk about then? They have been propagandists for at least the last 20 years. Owned and corrupt, just like Democrat politicians.
U meant politicians whose lips are moving?
Thank you for bringing this forward. For too long, this hostile takeover of local news media, which most people trust more than any national news source. Sinclair forces its presenters (not journalists) to spout the right wing party propaganda or be fired. Opinion is presented as news. This, I believe, has laid the groundwork for the current proliferation of misinformation in our society, and most consumers are none the wiser.
The demise of the Fairness Doctrine largely contributed to the proliferation of biased media outlets. The horse left the barn!
Unfortunately the Fairness Doctrine applied only to broadcast programs. Most news is cable and The Fairness Doctrine wouldn't be applicable anyway. We need more technical solutions for a cabled and streamed world.
Would it have applied to local Sinclair news stations?
I've been wondering about that. Hoping some smart journalist (one of the 11 left /s) or politicians will investigate. But I think after the Fairness went cut for cable "news" it still held for broadcast for a while.
The problem now is streaming eating Cable's lunch, so Broadcast, which became dependent on cable when antennas died out, is even smaller AND google (and META to a smaller degree) have Obliterated Advertising for any traditional media, from broadcast to cable to the newspapers (local And national), magazines, Radio, etc. Because when you advertise on Google, you Only pay when someone Clicks on your ad, and the ad is only shown to people who search or Have searched for your exact type of business. Down to the exact 40 mile radius where you live, if you're brick and mortar. Or to hundreds of thousands of "keyword" driven potential customers if you're national.
It's incredibly effective advertising.
So ALL the local businesses that Were running ads in the local papers, or on local News slots, or local Cable shows and news, have switched to Online ads. Which is basically, google, with a side of META.
That's it.
I've seen a dozen regional, respected magazines fail in the 8 or 10 years since google Ads showed up, Just in my tiny Antiques industry.
And all the local papers but two have bitten the dust. And one of those just sold to the LA Times parent company.
Main Point Being, the Monopolies, especially Tech in this case, are extincting Investigative Journalism. The Fourth Estate is being couped, just like the Supreme Court.
Please subscribe and encourage your friends to subscribe to whatever newspapers, magazines, radio stations, you believe are actually Investigating and Reporting as if the Fairness Doctrine still has meaning. Like AP, an org of journalists. The Guardian? The New Yorker? The Atlantic? Democracy Now (biased on the side of Equality and Justice!)
And don't we still have to support either the NYT and/or Wapo, Chicago Trib, or Miami Herald, Phil Enquirer? The Globe? LA Times or SF Chron? The last organizations big enough to DO investigative journalism - To Speak Truth to Power?
Ads are almost Gone. Subscriptions are a "who needs that?" They are Dying.
WHICH do Your support? Why?
I wish I could answer your question, but I have no idea. Perhaps someone else has researched this.
Here in Maine, the only station Sinclair has gotten it's dirty claws into has been the Channel 13, WGME, affiliated with CBS. We no longer get even the local channels (Channel 6, affiliated with NBC and channel 8, affiliated with ABC) via antennae, but through cable.
Seems the Fairness Doctrine died. I thought so, but it's so hard to believe that even a Communications & Chinese Studies major like myself is still foggy about it. But see this article from 2017. https://billmoyers.com/story/sinclair-tribune-merger-rotten-deal/
We can trace this all back to the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, which then brought us Rush Limbaugh and the increased polarization of our politics, which continues to worsen. As I recall Obama and other liberals claimed that we didn't need the FD, we simply needed to encourage diversity in media ownership. As usual, though, where it's a high-minded aspiration vs. money, money wins, and conservative Deep Pockets prevail. A restoration of the FD would be hard, but we can see where the alternative has lead.
So, the FD lost to money? Seriously?
And cable and streaming and internet and all the rest of the myriad ways we receive programming and media content.
Insightful comment!
Felonious Trump has a great advantage with his cult-serving media outlets. In Weimar Germany in the 1920s and 30s, the Nazis had to go through the expense of creating their own propaganda outlet, the Nazi newspaper, Der The Völkischer Beobachter. Felonious was spared that expense because greed-and-ideological-driven media moguls did the work for him. He gets his propaganda machine for free.
Twitter, possibly the big liar's single most potent free media weapon, tolerated him through J6. What has ensued is epic—one more iteration of his Heads I win, tails you lose career.
The Nazis also ended up distributing free radios tuned to one station: their propaganda.
Now on Netflix; Cast & crew IMDbPro
Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial
TV Mini Series 2024 TV-MA
Chronicles Hitler's ascent to power, his regime's use of propaganda, censorship, and anti-Semitic policies, as well as the eventual downfall of the Nazi leadership.
I've been watching the Hitler doc and am amazed the parallels drawn to Trump and his cult. I suspect the doc was written or edited to emphasize this but it's still dismaying to be shown how it all syncs up.
Exactly, I have been experiencing the same reaction.
And All In with Chris Haynes on MSNBC just did a segment they call "Freaks and Geeks," featuring some of the insufferable neo-fascist dunces the GOP is running down ballot, same syndromes, with a crackpot American spin.
Most of Sinclair's nearly 300 TV outlets service smaller markets, supposedly 40% of America has access to a Sinclair affiliate. This helps explain the large division between points of view between Urban and "Rural" America. In radio, Clear Channel is the right-wing monster. Recall how Clear Channel (and other radio owners) banned the Dixie Chicks who said, after the illegal Iraq invasion of 2003, that they were ashamed that George W. Bush was our President.
Here in Baltimore, David Smith and his family have been trying to affect Democrat Baltimore City politics by putting forth Ballot Initiatives to reduce the City Council and reduce the power of the Mayor. He recently financed and supported former mayor Sheila Dixon's attempt to become Mayor again after losing her position for stealing gift cards meant for poor people. Sinclair Broadcasting is located nearby in Baltimore County, where Smith lives. He recently purchased The Baltimore Sun and his so-called business partner Armstrong Williams, who Smith
sold multiple TV stations to at ROCK BOTTOM prices to achieve the appearance of minority ownership, writes ridiculously dog-whistley conservative word-salad opinions and now subscribers are fleeing. Other Smith family members have turned the area into Restauranistan, where they have opened several restaurants under the Atlas name. I don't know if they are merely just typical right wing fascists, money launderers, or what, but they are big into using their TV stations and other media to promote lies to benefit 1%-ers like themselves. Boycott. Boycott. Boycott.
I just commented also. What Smith and Williams have done to The Baltimore Sun is shameful and you are correct - subscribers are crying FOUL - and then fleeing, furious at the Op Eds that are BS. Alas. It's really sad to see the paper go downhill like this. Thank you for posting about how bad it is.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stations_owned_or_operated_by_Sinclair_Broadcast_Group
With the establishment media covering this election cycle as if it’s normal, reporting on Trump as if normal, not reporting on the aims of project 2025 taken up by most ‘Republicans’—while organized propaganda is happening to this degree—I can’t find much hope. And thank you greatly for your reporting . You are a gift to us Lucien.
Yesterday on MSNBC, Nicolle Wallace and her panel described what is in Project 2025 and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) has formed a group to counter what is written there. So broaden your outlook, have faith, and know there are a lot of people who are doing what they can to let people know what we are up against. One of the other responses lists groups to join to get the word out. I want to live in a country that's close to what I grew up with - a democracy - so I'm going to help any way I can. You can too.
No part of me not doing the same. Forge ahead. Work hard. Do everything we can. Yes
Your lips to EVERYONE’S ears!
Vote anyway!
Yes. Of course and more!
Sinclair owns a CBS station (WGME) in Portland, Maine. I found out about the tie between Sinclair & WGME a few years ago. I wouldn't watch it if it was the only TV station available. Interesting that it's located in southern Maine where the influence of the Repugnant party is minimal. Sinclair may be trying to change that but I don't see it being particularly effective.
You hit upon the insidious nature of Sinclair-owned and operated local stations/channels.
(a) Many are also affiliates of ABC, CBS, and NBC giving them the appearance of being legit news organizations (b) while playing upon the fact the reporters and hosts are locals.
Seen many segments including Deadline White House of the exact same script from scores of Sinclair stations used in reporting the same news. That is one of key tenets of agitprop, repeat, repeat, repeat (morning noon and evening news) amplify, amplify, amplify. multiply, multiply, multiply. Think State Teevee in the flic V is for Vendetta. Yes, fiction due to few having experienced the non-fiction in places around the globe.
And beyond Sinclair are the broadcast and cable networks for the office of the President by referring to a president only by their last name as if saying the word president is a deadly sin. This applies to R and D presidents, no exceptions. Same journos would do nearly anything to land a one-on-one interview w/a President and ya can bet the ranch and your first born s/he would never evah adress the President by her/his last name during the interview.
Dropping a title or rank is not only bad form it's a sign of seeing self as superior.
Referring to a person only by their last name is not something Mums taught their children. Doing so dishonors and disrespects the individual and the individual's ancestors. In simple terms, it's SPIT.
We can fight back against the lies, even without owning any media. You can share accurate information about pro-democracy candidates by writing to voters. Sign up for the election campaigns you want and write postcards when and where you want.
These groups have campaigns available that do not give tight deadlines for getting postcards done.
https://www.commit2democracy.com/sign_up
https://www.activateamerica.vote/postcards
https://secure.everyaction.com/wWYzSycvi0uyLrKtsMnNXw2
https://postcards.markersfordemocracy.org/
www.postcardstovoters.org started it all; it has a 3-day turnaround for its postcard campaigns.
Yes, of course!
Write on lionheart. Truth to power.
Conservative used to mean fiscally conservative/cheap. (Yes, I do know the USA was set up to benefit the wealthy. But they used to throw us a bone or two.) Now it means fascism which means very big (powerful, based on cronyism and strict obedience to the dictator) government in total control of everything and everyone. Nazi style propaganda works well on the parts of a population that are too lazy to think for themselves, and who crave hate targets to excuse their own failures. It's known that trump studied Hitler and Nazis closely and, to this day, supports all-things Nazi.
I have serious doubts about Trump ever studying anything seriously in his life, but clearly he has mimicked the Nazis. Maybe it just comes naturally like his understanding of science has from his uncle having been a prof at MIT?
I live in Seattle, where Sinclair bought the news outlet KOMO that broadcasts from the ABC affiliate. That was back in 2013, and while its longtime anchors assured viewers that their coverage and tone would remain the same it was still forced to air news packages of conservative leaning content. After 2020, with the pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests and growing homelessness the station's relentless focus is on a dystopian city rendered lawless by the left. Not as belligerent as Fox but definitely more shrill.
The urgency of a free press! Thank you for helping to preserve it!
Absolutely correct.
I expect nothing less from these traitorous cowards,an all out propaganda war against our democracy is the only way they have to win ,and the media is an accomplice in this fascist tactic !No policies that benefit the majority of Americans so they must resort to distortion and lies if they expect to win, and again the media whitewashes the truth about the lies they are peddling!What has happened to the American 🇺🇸 press that I grew up with and respected ?Theyhave sold out the country entirely and for what? To keep a demented criminal out of prison and place him in the White House to do the bidding of his Pimps in the elitist class as well as bowing down to dictators who would destroy America!🇺🇸