The Lying Liars at Sinclair Broadcasting

After its stock price dropped 8% in reaction to its announcement that it had ordered all of its stations to run an anti-Kerry screed without commercial interruption just days before the election, Sinclair Broadcasting decided it better do something. So it called a day long meeting of its news directors where they discussed production of a "news special" providing a "balanced look" at the military records of the two Presidential candidates. Then they leaked the story of the meeting, apparently hoping to stem the tide of negative publicity.



But even this story seems to be unraveling, and they probably never had any intention of producing a news special, only to give the impression that they intended to present a balanced point-of-view:

Local affiliates have been told nothing other than that they are ordered to run the anti-Kerry film on Wednesday evening.



Meanwhile, Sinclair fired its Washington Bureau Chief for speaking out against the company's plans to air the hour-long Bush campaign commercial.



The producer of the anti-Kerry film has expressed shock that his film might be edited and says no one has asked him.



And, the producer of the anti-Kerry film is being sued for libel based upon the biased way in which he edited comments from Vietnam veterans in the film in order to make them seem anti-Kerry.

But, tragically, in the end it looks like Rabid Republicans who own Sinclair Broadcasting will get exactly what they wanted in the first place. This flap postpones once again any serious consideration of the military background of George W. Bush and delays, probably until well after the election, a reasoned discussion of his fitness to command the military. And that's precisely the intended outcome.



The New York Times - Ex-Marine Sues Over Portrayal in Kerry Film



Los Angeles Times - Sinclair Fires Journalist After Critical Comments