A still frame from a Wednesday, March 28, WSBT newscast as Bob Montgomery and Leanne Tokars read a scripted commentary required for broadcast by Sinclair Broadcast Group, WSBT's parent company. South Bend Tribune photo
SOUTH BEND — Segments denouncing the spread of “false news” required for broadcast by WSBT 22 parent company Sinclair Broadcast Group were read by local anchors and aired on each newscast on the station last week, raising ethical concerns in the minds of some former and current employees.
An internal Sinclair memo directed its local stations, 193 in 89 markets nationwide, to read a script that warned viewers of increasing prevalence of “one-sided news stories plaguing our country.”
The 30-second segment accused media outlets, without naming any specific journalists or companies, of using their platform to “push their own personal bias and agenda to control exactly what people think.”
WSBT, which airs on both the local CBS and FOX channels, is the only Sinclair-owned station in Indiana. Nationally, Sinclair-owned stations can reach over 38 percent of U.S. households, according to the company’s 2016 annual report. If a proposed $3.9 billion merger with Tribune Media is approved by the Federal Communication Commission, the company could reach 70 percent of American households, including the Indianapolis market.
Local WSBT anchors Bob Montgomery, Leanne Tokars, Todd Connor, Jennifer Copeland and Dayne Marae read the script in pre-recorded promos, which played during every newscast last week. None of them responded to Tribune requests for comment.
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