The Dangerous Impact of Misinformation: How Corporate Consolidation is Eroding Local News
With the upcoming Presidential election in November, there has been an upsurge in fear mongering “news” stories, particularly regarding migrant crime. Two of the most recent examples include a viral video and a story claiming that Venezuelan migrant gang members had taken over an apartment complex, brandishing weapons, and holding tenants hostage, forcing them to pay rent. This story has been circulated, without verification, by various news networks in the past couple of weeks, including CBS, Fox News, the New York Post, and numerous local news outlets across the country. Upon investigation, the Aurora Police Department and the local sheriff concluded that no such takeover had taken place:
“We’ve been talking to the residents here and learning from them to find out what exactly is going on. And there’s definitely a different picture. I’m not saying that there aren’t gang members living in this community, but what we’re learning is that gang members have not taken over this complex.”¹
Although it’s difficult to trace the exact origin of this misinformation, its rapid spread is more apparent. While it is unsurprising that unverified stories like these are picked up by networks like Fox News and the New York Post, the real concern lies in the number of local news networks that have also aired and continue to promote it. This raises larger questions about the credibility and responsibility of widely trusted local news outlets. Many of these local networks — such as WTGS, WCIV, WKRC, KABB, The National Desk, Portland Watch, and others, including affiliate networks of ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox News — seem to have a common connection: The Sinclair Broadcast Group.
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Sinclair is a relatively unknown but far-reaching broadcasting network that
“owns and operates over 190 local television stations in various markets. These stations are affiliates of major networks such as FOX, ABC, CBS, and NBC, among others.”²
But why does this matter? Beyond the issue of corporate consolidation of local news, there is Sinclair’s widely documented history of dictating specific news stories to its networks, many of which lean politically to the right.
“They are called ‘must-runs,’ and they arrive every day at television stations owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group — short video segments that are centrally produced by the company. Station managers across the country are directed to include them in the broadcast within 24 to 48 hours.”³
Many of these stories, with not-so-subtle right-wing undertones, relate to topics like terrorism, immigration, and presidential elections. In 2015, Sinclair even mandated a new segment known as the “Terrorism Alert Desk.” Journalists working at Sinclair-owned KOMO in Seattle
“described a newsroom where some have resisted Sinclair’s programming directives, especially the must-runs, which they view as politically biased and sometimes of poor quality. They also mentioned features like a daily poll, which they believe sometimes asks leading questions.”³
Corporate consolidation of local news not only tarnishes the integrity of journalism, but when it’s orchestrated by a group like Sinclair, with a right-wing agenda and a willingness to control the narrative by requiring their networks to run specific stories — even those without any basis in truth — it becomes a threat to society. Returning to the factually inaccurate story about Venezuelan migrant gang members in Aurora, Colorado, this kind of unethical reporting should not only be condemned but should also face legal repercussions for inciting mass hysteria and violence.
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