The E.W. Scripps School of Journalism joined more than a dozen journalism and communication schools Friday in criticizing Sinclair Broadcast Group. The company forced dozens of anchors to read from identical scripts condemning “fake news” during promotional videos.
Last week, a Deadspin video montage of anchors reading from the identical script went viral, sparking criticism of the corporation, which owns 193 TV stations across the country. According to The Washington Post, the script was written by Sinclair’s corporate executives.
“Unfortunately, some members of the media use their platforms to push their own personal bias and agenda to control exactly what people think,” anchors say in the video. “This is extremely dangerous to our democracy.”
Deans and directors from nine journalism and communication schools — including E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Director Robert Stewart — signed the original letter, which was addressed to Sinclair Executive Chairman David Smith on April 6. Four more schools signed on to the letter later that week.
“While news organizations have historically had and used the prerogative to publish and broadcast editorials clearly identified as opinion, we believe that line was crossed at Sinclair stations when anchors were required to read scripts making claims about ‘the troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country,’ “ the letter reads.
Leaders of the journalism schools wrote that students “are now apprehensive” that the journalistic values of ethics and unbiased reporting taught in classes will clash with the demands of future employers.
Sinclair Broadcasting owns nine TV stations in Ohio, including two in Cincinnati, three in the Columbus and two in Dayton.
“One of the tenets of American journalism and one of the foundations of American democracy is that news reporting serves as an independent voice free from government censorship and influence,” the letter reads. “Moreover, American news consumers have come to expect that news professionals cover news rather than advance the business or political interests of news organization owners.”
The letter states although no news organization is “beyond critique” and though social media has frequently been used to spread “false news,” Sinclair has diminished trust in the news media by disparaging outlets indiscriminately.
“Ironically, Sinclair’s use of news personnel to deliver commentary — not identified as such — may further erode what has traditionally been one of the strongest allegiances in the news landscape, the trust that viewers put in their local television stations,” the letter reads.
