John Oliver Slams “Brainwashed Cult” Sinclair for Creepy Local-News Promos
Laura Bradley
Updated
Update (9:40 A.M.): The president tweeted his support for Sinclair Broadcasting Group Monday morning, writing, "So funny to watch Fake News Networks, among the most dishonest groups of people I have ever dealt with, criticize Sinclair Broadcasting for being biased. Sinclair is far superior to CNN and even more Fake NBC, which is a total joke."
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John Oliver has just one day per week to handle the firehose of news pouring out of the Trump White House. But even so, he took time on Sunday night to follow up on the conservative-run Sinclair Broadcasting Group, a TV empire that Oliver likens to “a brainwashed cult.”
Over the weekend, the telecommunications company became the subject of ire once more thanks to a pre-written script that’s made its way into Sinclair broadcasts. Across the country, Sinclair has been prompting its anchors to record a promo that includes this leading claim: “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—stories that just aren’t true—without checking facts first. Unfortunately, some members of the media use their platforms to push their own personal bias and agenda to control exactly what people think. This is extremely dangerous to a democracy.”
As Oliver put it Sunday night, “Nothing says ‘we value independent media’ like dozens of reporters forced to repeat the same message over and over again like a brainwashed cult.”
CNN first reported on the scripted message in early March, noting that despite many anchors’ dismay, the “anchor-delivered journalistic responsibility message” would begin to run on Sinclair stations later in the month. Sinclair has been a subject of concern for many since last year, when Oliver initially covered the conservative company. The company’s political bent and ties to the Trump White House--former Trump aide Boris Epshteyn serves as its chief political analyst—have been a subject of particular concern as the company seeks to acquire Tribune Media. Previous company-wide “must-run” segments have included pieces on the “Deep State” as well as commentary from Epshteyn. Sinclair has also been accused of using its connections within the Trump administration to skirt media consolidation regulations.
The pre-written statement anchors have read this month is “creepy enough,” Oliver said Sunday night, “but when you see just how many local stations were forced to read it, and you watch them together, as many have been doing online in the last couple of days, you begin to realize the true effect of Sinclair’s reach and power.” Evidently, it’s not just creeping Oliver out either; several celebrities have expressed their concerns about the company. Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Sarah Silverman,Kumail Nanjiani,, and more have all tweeted their dismay, while Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Alyssa Milano, Patton Oswalt, and others have taken things further with the hashtag #BoycottSinclair.
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