Latino, Black Journalists Meet with Sinclair Executives
NiLPnote: Interesting that Sinclair’s extreme right-wing political agenda was not directly addressed as it impacts so negatively on Latino and Black communities. Is it wise for these journalist groups of color to promote employment in this company that is promoting such a right-wing agenda?
An example of the dilemma a Latino journalist faces working for Sinclair was raised by Norma Hollanda, who is Latina and an anchor at WHAM-TV in Rochester, NY. Reacting to being forced to read the now infamour Sinclari corporate statement about fake news, she wrote in Facebook:
What I’m about to say hasn’t been vetted. It comes from my heart. I’m angry today. I’ve been angry for days. The Sinclair message you saw me and my colleagues in has damaged the trust you place in us-a trust that’s taken, me in particular, 22 years to build. That hurts. Here’s the truth: I could have chosen to quit, but who among us has an alternate career in their back pocket ready to go? I have a family to support. That’s not an excuse-that’s reality. Moreover, I have a career I love and worked hard for. Am I supposed to be bullied into giving it up? So, I read the statement and now I’ve been called disgusting names. That hurts, too. One bad day does not speak for a career filled with good.
I’ve wondered, ‘what’s next?’ I don’t know. What I do know is that I have broad shoulders and can take the criticism. I will write my own next chapter. I’m going to come to work each day and do my job reporting on local news. I’m going to read to local school kids. I’m going to help raise money for local non-profits.
Thank you-friends, strangers and colleagues from other stations-for your kind support.
I’m going to stick around and I hope you do, too. As my father likes to say, “to be continued….”
—Angelo Falcón
Latino and Black Journalists
Speak with Sinclair Broadcast Group
They Discussed the “Must-Read”
Messages with Sinclair Execs
By National Association of Hispanic Journalists (April 4, 2018)
Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) relayed concerns to Sinclair Broadcast Group Wednesday morning regarding the airing of company-wide scripted messages, which puts journalism at risk. NAHJ President Brandon Benavides, Executive Director Alberto B. Mendoza and NABJ President Sarah Glover spoke by phone with Sinclair President and Chief Executive Officer Christopher Riley and Senior Vice President of News Scott Livingston following the media backlash.The company officials said Sinclair’s “must-read” message read by anchors at its local television stations last week got lost in translation and the backlash was a “teaching moment.” Sinclair owns or operates approximately 173 television stations.
Livingston explained the company’s intent behind the recent news promotional message. He cited a Sinclair campaign commissioned to reconnect and gain trust by reinforcing the broadcast company’s journalistic standards, commitment and promise to local viewers. He described it as “a message of integrity, accuracy that fit perfectly with our local brand and editorial mission.”
The conference call was requested to discuss Sinclair’s company-wide on-air statement, the chairman’s commentary on print media and the potential impact of the pending Sinclair-Tribune merger.
Sinclair reached out to the local teams involved with broadcasting the scripted message to encourage open dialogue and feedback. Riley noted the company’s “open door policy is real and Sinclair employees shouldn’t worry about retribution when speaking to the company about concerns.”
Reports of Sinclair Chairman David Smith’s comments about the lack of credibility in print media was also discussed. Riley said he sees future opportunities for collaboration between television and print as news organizations seek to grow their businesses. He added, “It’s no secret that we’re a traditional outlet, but we think that together the challenges we face will be easier to overcome than alone.”
NAHJ and NABJ asked Sinclair to commit to ensuring diverse staffing in front of the camera, and behind the scenes in executive and decision-making roles. The Sinclair executives said the company is seeking to grow its news staffing by about 100 journalists, with a focus on investigative journalism.
Sinclair will be recruiting at the NAHJ Convention in Miami and the NABJ Convention in Detroit this year. NABJ and NAHJ memberships represent about 6,000 journalists, media professionals and students in the U.S. and worldwide.
The NAHJ The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is the largest organization of Latino journalists in the United States and dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry. The mission of NAHJ is to increase the number of Latinos in the newsrooms and to work toward fair and accurate representation of Latinos in news media. Established in April 1984, NAHJ created a national voice and unified vision for all Hispanic journalists. NAHJ has approximately 2,200 members, including working journalists, journalism students, other media-related professionals and journalism educators. For more information please visit NAHJ.org or follow on Twitter @NAHJ.
The National Association of Black Journalists
An advocacy group established in 1975 in Washington, D.C., NABJ is the largest organization for journalists of color in the nation, and provides career development as well as educational and other support to its members worldwide. For additional information, please visit www.nabj.org.
Further information:
BA Snyder
Veritas Group for NAHJ
BA@VeritasAustin.com
512.630.6337