John,
Sinclair Broadcast Group — the far-right media giant that owns 185 local TV stations in 86 markets — is moving to buy up even more outlets and beam its pro-MAGA agenda into homes across America.
A court decision shredding ownership limits, a Trump-led FCC bent on empowering partisan broadcasters, and Sinclair’s drive to control the airwaves are converging toward one outcome — a Trump-aligned stranglehold on local news.
Sinclair already reaches nearly 40% of U.S. households — and they’re using that power to pump partisan propaganda into trusted local newscasts:
- The National Desk packages right-wing talking points on immigration, crime, and elections as “straight news.”
- Local anchors read identical “fake news” promos from corporate HQ — straight from Trump’s playbook.
- After Sinclair takeovers, coverage shifts from local issues to national conservative narratives — even if viewership drops.
Trump has cheered them on, calling Sinclair “far superior to CNN” and blasting regulators for blocking a past merger.
Now Trump’s FCC is moving to eliminate the national ownership cap — the last major safeguard preventing one company from dominating local news — clearing the way for an unprecedented expansion.
If they succeed, millions more Americans will get their “local news” filtered through a coordinated right-wing propaganda machine.
At the same time the Trump administration is attacking funding for public broadcasting and dismantling protections against media monopolies, COURIER is quickly becoming one of the fastest-growing grassroots powered progressive news outlets in the country. We reach millions online every day. Our battleground state newsrooms keep voters informed in parts of the country where access to local news is rapidly disappearing.
We’re on the front lines of defending democracy with factual, community-focused reporting — but we can’t take on Sinclair’s empire without your support.
Thank you,
COURIER Newsroom