Hearst Redux

Sinclair Broadcast Group is receiving criticism for having its approximately 200 local TV stations read “a message about bias and fake stories in news outlets.”  It is seen as a pro-Trump move since Trump inveighs frequently about fake news. Sinclair, the critics say, is flexing its conservative political muscle and there is a general alarm. Critics forget that in his day, William Randolph Hearst, a media mogul, reached one in four Americans with his newspapers, syndicates, magazines and newsreels. Hearst took every opportunity to promote his agenda and to blast opponents such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Hearst didn’t succeed, and eventually his empire shrank. Give the public some credit for an ability to see through what a medium is doing, especially when other reporters point it out as they did this time. Sinclair has produced a PR faux pas, and it has put journalists on alert to examine its pronouncements and actions. Not a good way to operate.