Letter: Say no to Sinclair’s fake commentary

Graphic by Lori Deaton

Mark Hyman is on MY 40 giving commentary which is misleading and outrageous. I have asked the station to stop broadcasting him.

Now I know why they can’t. Sinclair Broadcast Group is requiring stations to air controversial commentators such as Boris Epshteyn and Mark E. Hyman. Control such as this may advance conservative ideals by controlling content favorable to nationalistic agendas.

I don’t like being told fake news. Say no to any future purchases of media outlets by Sinclair. We used to have laws to prevent such media control of so many markets. Now, just as we suspected could happen, they overstep their responsibility when they require “their” news be aired — their fake news — presented as commentary.

If Sinclair is making it mandatory that WLOS carries this conservative, and many times nonfactual, commentary, what else are they doing in programming that we do not know of to try and bend minds toward their philosophy? This is a dangerous course for all of us.

It is not proper for our hometown TV stations to give us misleading and false information disguised as commentary — and made mandatory by Sinclair. WLOS is not FOX News — but it is being turned into it. This is disgusting. Please do what you can to let them know that you don’t want “our” station to be an outlet for right-wing and many times false news.

— Jerry Hinz
Candler

 

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15 thoughts on “Letter: Say no to Sinclair’s fake commentary

  1. Don

    Television “news” ……if you’re dumbed down enough to watch it….. you dumbed down enough to buy into it. Sorry, but that’s the deal. period.

  2. bsummers

    Absolutely right, Jerry. I’ve always hated Mark Hyman’s commentaries, but Boris Epshteyn and the fact that Sinclair is forcing him onto local stations, is horrifying. Epshteyn is a former Trump “asst. communications director”, meaning he was one of the surrogates who would go on air & do spin control for the Trump trainwreck. Now this Trump spinmaster’s “commentaries” are being forced on local communities by a rightwing corporate owner, which has toadied up to Trump since he first ran for President? The whole thing sounds way too much like Soviet state-sponsored propaganda for my comfort.

    • Lulz

      LOL, let’s make safe spaces like they do on college campuses. And get some muscle to force people out who we disagree with. But your brand of book burning is like pure and good lulz. Or better yet, lets unfurl rainbow flags down city hall while demanding ISIS like actions to destroy things we don’t consider PC. The blatant hypocrisy from people like you isn’t surprising. In fact it’s laughable.

      Don’t like the programming content on TV? There’s an easy solution……..change the channel.

      • NFB

        “Don’t like the programming content on TV? There’s an easy solution……..change the channel.”

        Remember that the next time the self appointed moral police freak out about a show that has (ACK!) GAY PEOPLE!

      • luther blissett

        Oh dear. Somebody sounds like he’s absorbed too many Mark Hyman rants.

        For better or worse, WLOS is the only affiliate in this media market based in WNC, while everybody else is down in GSP. While the other affiliates will report Asheville stories if they make the headlines, typically only WLOS has a presence in rural counties.

        The “must-run” opinion segments are a long-standing problem, but just as bad and less obvious is how Sinclair’s stealth transformation into a national broadcaster means greater centralization and diminished resources and editorial autonomy for local coverage.

  3. The Real World

    So very typical of the ultra-Hypocritical, Our-Way-or-the-Highway, Suppression of Speech Democrat Party.

    So, Jerry….now you care about factual reporting? No thinking person can take you seriously. Where have you been? Did you have any problems with Clinton News Network presenting vastly biased and plenty of FAKE reporting during the election last year…..while they received huge HRC and DNC advertising money. Right, that was all coincidence; no correlation.

    Did you happen to notice CNN’s fraudulently-conducted election polls? Sure, they concluded an HRC win because they consistently polled more Dems than Repubs! (they openly declared such) How dumb is our electorate if they did not grasp the intentionally faked outcome of those polls.

    This letter is just more disingenuous, hypocritical shrieking. When you folks want to address ALL of the fake and manipulated news reporting then there’s a conversation to be had. Until then, it’s an exercise in immaturity. Just like with the topic of racism — let’s talk about ALL of it. When the concept is cherry-picked for discussion, that is racism itself.

      • bsummers

        He (or she, or it) is conceding that the Trumpish propaganda commentaries forced onto local stations is OK, because “Oh yeah? Well, Clinton did it first!”

      • The Real World

        If someone wants to put my already clear commentary into remedial words for luther, have at it.

        Meanwhile, bsummers, as typical, has intentionally comprehended the observations provided to fit HIS worldview. And, as usual, is categorically incorrect.

        • bsummers

          Oh man ( or woman, or corporate algorithm), I am so sorry. Did I miss something in your response other than “Clinton did it first”? Lemme go back & look…

          Nope, nothing there other than Clinton bashing, serving as cover for Trump administration propaganda being shoveled into people’s homes as “news”.

          • The Real World

            Wrong again, in your typical self-serving manner. You are consistent, I’ll give you that.

            The root of the issue is a choice and can be overcome, if one asserts the will to do so.
            http://tinyurl.com/yag888tx

    • Godslayer

      What about? What about? What about? What about?

      Typical RWNJ deflection. When you’re caught red handed and guilty as sin, deflect! Deflect!

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