Sinclair chairman: Print media ‘so left wing’ it’s ‘meaningless dribble’

Sinclair Broadcasting Group executive chairman David Smith has lashed out at the print media saying it is “so left wing as to be meaningless dribble” that has “no credibility.”

In emails to New York magazine published Monday, Smith fired back after critics accused his company of pushing pro-Trump propaganda, arguing that print media “serves no real purpose.”

“I must tell that in all the 45 plus years I have been in the media business I have never seen a single article about us that is reflective of reality especially in today’s world with the shameful political environment and generally complete lack of integrity. Facts and truth have been lost for a long time and likely to never return,” Smith said.

{mosads}

“The print media is so left wing as to be meaningless dribble which accounts for why the industry is and will fade away,” he added. “Just no credibility.”

Smith’s remarks come after Deadspin put together a viral clip of dozens of anchors at Sinclair-owned stations reading an anti-“fake news” script in unison.

“The sharing of biased and false news has become all too common on social media,” their scripts read. “More alarming, national media outlets are publishing these same fake stories … without checking facts first.”

The company has doubled down on their stance against so-called fake news in the days following the viral video’s publication, issuing an internal memo Monday that emphasized a commitment to “fact-based reporting.”

“The critics are now upset about our well-researched journalistic initiative focused on fair and objective reporting,” Scott Livingston, Sinclair’s senior vice president of news, said in the memo.

“We are focused on fact-based reporting,” he added. “That’s our commitment to our communities.”

President Trump on Tuesday defended Sinclair after the video, writing on Twitter that the company’s critics in the media were jealous of Sinclair’s ratings.

“The Fake News Networks, those that knowingly have a sick and biased AGENDA, are worried about the competition and quality of Sinclair Broadcast,” he tweeted.