Are Dinosaurs Dangerous to Our “Democracy”? | You're about to be exposed to…

Fox News…Comet TV…Telemundo…The CW…Stadium…Antenna TV…TBD…

You’ve probably watched one or more of these stations today, and maybe for awhile.

All of these brands – and more – are owned by Sinclair. No, not that big green dinosaur which used to grace the front of many Sinclair Oil gas stations starting in the 1960′s (with only one officially existing today), but rather the Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., a broadcast giant with 190 television stations serving a combined 607 channels to 88 markets in the United States.

And at the end of March, 2018 Sinclair’s TV stations spoke as one voice, to stop “fake news” from being broadcast.

Thanks to the website Deadspin, here’s their composite video showing Sinclair’s “one voice”:

Here’s the complete, identical transcript of the TV spot used by Sinclair’s 190 TV Stations:

Hi, I’m [TV Anchor (A)], and I’m [TV Anchor (B)].

(B) Our greatest responsibility is to serve our Northwest communities. We are extremely proud of the quality, balanced journalism that [specific News Station] produces.

(A) But we’re concerned about the troubling trend of irresponsible, one sided news stories plaguing our country. The sharing of biased and false news has become all too common on social media.

(B) More alarming, some media outlets publish these same fake stories… stories that just aren’t true, without checking facts first.

(A) 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.

(B) At [specific News Station] it’s our responsibility to pursue and report the truth. We understand Truth is neither politically ‘left nor right.’ Our commitment to factual reporting is the foundation of our credibility, now more than ever.

(A) But we are human and sometimes our reporting might fall short. If you believe our coverage is unfair please reach out to us by going to [specific news station's website] and clicking on CONTENT CONCERNS. We value your comments. We will respond back to you.

(B) We work very hard to seek the truth and strive to be fair, balanced and factual. We consider it our honor, our privilege to responsibly deliver the news every day.

(A) Thank you for watching and we appreciate your feedback.

This ad was defended by President Trump back in 2018, and the Sinclair Broadcast Group has been net contributor to Republican candidates since it went public in 1995…until the 2020 Election, where 55% of its’ political contributions went to Democrats.

Now Consider: When was the last time you heard Fox News (radio, TV, or cable) use the phase “Fair and Balanced” during the last two or so years? If you saw the first presidential debate moderated by Fox News’ Chris Wallace, did it appear President Trump was debating both Biden and the moderator? Did you view Fox’s coverage of Election Night 2020, where they incorrectly predicted Democrats would win local contests? Or their cutting away from President Trump Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany for alleging the voting process was unfair?

So, does Sinclair not like President Trump, are they simply catering to an expected audience should Joe Biden ultimately win the election, are they slowly moving left since Fox sold their Entertainment Division to Disney in 2019 and Lachlan Murdock took over Fox News from his brother, or has Sinclair succumbed to the “Information Purification Directive” described in another classic TV ad which ran over 36 years ago?

Here’s the complete original transcript, as published on Mac History. The portion shown in italics was part of the original script but not used in the finished TV ad, which was only broadcast twice on television:

“[My friends, each of you is a single cell in the great body of the State. And today, that great body has purged itself of parasites. We have triumphed over the unprincipled dissemination of facts. The thugs and wreckers have been cast out. And the poisonous weeds of disinformation have been consigned to the dustbin of history. Let each and every cell rejoice! For] today we celebrate the first, glorious anniversary of the Information Purification Directive! We have created, for the first time in all history, a garden of pure ideology. Where each worker may bloom secure from the pests purveying contradictory truths. Our Unification of Thoughts is more powerful a weapon than any fleet or army on earth. We are one people, with one will, one resolve, one cause. Our enemies shall talk themselves to death and we will bury them with their own confusion. We shall prevail!

Finally, when it comes to “speaking”, remember:

Dictatorship: Only the leader’s speaks, everyone else listens.
Military Dictatorship: A Dictatorship with “or else!” added.
Democracy: Only the loudest group gets to speak, everyone else must listen.
Socialism: Everyone speaks equally…but only what the State approves.
Communism: It’s Socialism, but everyone’s equally poor (except the leaders).
Constitutional Republic: Everyone gets to speak…and, to be heard.

How would you like to speak? And more importantly, how will your voice be heard?

Thanks for Reading!