The Sinclair Broadcasting Deal

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Hello, Big Brother 

“These levels of consolidation are a threat to democracy regardless of whether liberal or conservative messages dominate. In 1947, the Hutchins Commission, a group of academics convened to study the freedom of the press, put it this way: ‘The owners and managers of the press determine which persons, which facts, which versions of the facts, and which ideas shall reach the public.’”

—Kevin Carty, columnist, “Sinclair's vast media merger threatens democratic ideals. Congress must fight it,” The Guardian, Nov. 24, 2017.

• Editorial Comment: If the FCC permits Sinclair Broadcasting to purchase Tribune Broadcasting, the new corporation will reach 72 percent of U.S. households. So much for the diverse marketplace of ideas.



PeezPix by Ted Pease

Winter Evening










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“I don’t think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard