Another current event is the
concern of objectivity in regards to the Sinclair Broadcast Group and President
Bush. Last year conservative
commentator Armstrong Williams received $240,000 from the Bush administration
to promote its education policies. In
order to complete this deal he had to reach a national
television audience. Luckily for Williams he was a good friend
with David Smith the CEO of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group is the largest owner of television
stations. Smith liked Williams’
pro-Bush views and gave him access to things others cannot get. Williams did interviews on Sinclair with
Education Secretary Rod Paige, the man responsible for getting Williams the
money to sponsor prime-time exposure.
He also received an on-air interview with Majority Whip Tom Delay and
Vice President Dick Cheney who rarely speaks to the media. Smith says he was unaware that Williams was
on the Bush payroll. However Williams
says “Sinclair brought me stuff that I did not have – real numbers, where you
can get the speaker of the house or the VP.
The Federal Communications Commission is currently investigating the
cash-for-coverage deal (Klinenberg).
Yet
another example of truth in the media occurred earlier this year. In February, ESPN fell victim to an Internet
hoax claiming that Shaquille O’Neal was out for the season with an injury. A certain website posted a fake
news story
using similar graphics to the Miami Herald newspaper Web site. The article said O’Neal who plays for the
Miami Heat had a torn ligament in his left knee. ESPN News, believing it was a real story, ran the breaking news
on television. Several other reputable
sites also reported the story. The
Miami Herald immediately denied the report and ESPN was forced to quickly
retract the story. This shows how even
very reputable organizations can end up running false news on the web and on TV
(Hoax).