What the hell is happening to local news?

Hi there,

Over the weekend, you may have seen a viral video of friendly local news anchors across the nation reading from a frighteningly Orwellian script. The video is making millions sit up and ask:

What the hell is happening to local news?

The answer is Sinclair.

Tell the FCC to stop Sinclair from swallowing up even more of our national airwaves to spread propaganda and their reactionary political agenda.

Sinclair Broadcast Group is the nation’s largest broadcaster, a media empire that Free Press has been fighting for over a decade. Their shenanigans have recently reached epic levels with the help of — you guessed it — aspiring authoritarian Donald Trump and his FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.

Local communities deserve better. But with Ajit Pai at the helm, the FCC is absolutely ignoring its duty to protect public interest and preserve diversity among media voices.

Instead, Pai and friends are changing rules and rolling back protections to pave the way for Sinclair’s latest project: a mega-merger with Tribune Media that will allow #TrumpTV to reach more than 70 percent of the U.S. population.

Urge the FCC to cancel this dangerous merger and #StopSinclair now.

Sinclair is big, brazen and bent on pushing pro-Trump narratives. Their push to expand is not only a dangerous use of our broadcast airwaves, it’s actually against the law. And here’s the craziest part:

As we speak, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is under investigation for improperly assisting Sinclair by rolling back limits on media ownership through various rule changes that directly benefit Trump’s favorite broadcaster.

Just this morning, Trump tweeted his support for Sinclair while once again referring to CNN and NBC as “Fake News” by comparison — a total abuse of his power. He thinks he can use Sinclair to force his xenophobic agenda on our communities.

Not on our watch. Let’s take the airwaves back.

Take Action: Add your voice to the call to cancel the Sinclair-Tribune merger. Local communities deserve locally produced media that meets their needs — not cheap cookie-cutter coverage that spreads propaganda and pads profits for an unscrupulous media empire1.

Thanks for all that you do—

Collette, Candace, Craig and the rest of the Free Press Team
freepress.net

P.S. We need your help: Urge the FCC to cancel this dangerous merger and #StopSinclair.

P.P.S. Right now, Free Press is fighting Sinclair at the FCC, in Congress and in the courts. We need your help: Chip in $10 (or whatever you can) to help us win in court and block the FCC's rule changes.

1. “Local News Is Turning Into Trump TV, Even Though Viewers Don’t Want It,” New York Magazine, March 28, 2018: http://act.freepress.net/go/19753?t=11&akid=8815%2E10296224%2EK1j2yp

Free Press and the Free Press Action Fund are nonpartisan organizations fighting for your rights to connect and communicate. Learn more at www.freepress.net.

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