(2020-10-13) Sinclair Local Propaganda

Local propaganda: As the election heads into its final stretch, Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest operator of television stations in the United States, is amplifying Donald Trump's misinformation about mail-in voting (postal voting).

After Trump secured the Republican nomination in 2016, Smith met with Trump at Trump Tower. "We are here to deliver your message. Period," Smith told Trump. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, later struck a deal that gave Sinclair unprecedented access to Trump on the condition that Sinclair stations "broadcast their Trump interviews across the country without commentary."

In recent days, Smith's company assisted Trump by amplifying wild claims about absentee voting. But the message is often laundered through trusted local outlets affiliated with respected brands like NBC, CBS, and ABC.

Most people who tune into Fox News know what they are getting: A right-wing outlet that carries water for Trump. But what about viewers of WSET, the ABC affiliate in Lynchburg, Virginia? They might not be expecting pro-Trump propaganda, but that's what they get.