WORDmeister note: Sinclair Broadcasting, the nation’s largest owner of local TV stations (200), requires its news anchors to read this on-air. See if you aren’t moved by this in some way:
(B) Our greatest responsibility is to serve our (town/area) communities. We are extremely proud of the quality, balanced journalism that (TV station newscast) 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 (TV station name) 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.
—Timothy Burke, “How America’s Largest TV Owner Turned Its News Anchors Into Soldiers in Trump’s War on the Media,” Deadspin.com, March 31, 2018.
• Editorial Comment: Agreed. This *is* extremely dangerous to a democracy. But let’s give John Oliver the final word: “Nothing says ‘We value independent media’ like dozens of reporters forced to repeat the same message over and over again like members of a brainwashed cult.”
peezpix by Ted Pease
Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff, Trinidad, California. (Be)Friend The WORD
“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
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