Washington Post
Kathleen Parker: The real and disheartening danger of the Sinclair story (Washington Post)
Submitted by benton on Wed, 04/04/2018 - 06:35Microsoft drops digital privacy case in light of congressional action (Washington Post)
Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Tue, 04/03/2018 - 17:25
The implied threats in Trump’s tweets about CNN and Sinclair
[Analysis] President Trump's tweet that CNN President Jeff Zucker's “job is in jeopardy” is more than mere gossip. It carries an implied threat because President Trump could influence Zucker's employment status. The Justice Department is suing to block AT&T's $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner, CNN's parent company. What could move President Trump to drop his protest? Ousting Zucker would certainly fit into an appeasement effort.
Katrina vanden Heuvel: Don’t let big and dark money ‘drown out the truth and drown out your voice’ (Washington Post)
Submitted by benton on Tue, 04/03/2018 - 11:18When does Russian propaganda work — and when does it backfire? Here’s what we found.
After examining Russia’s 2014 disinformation campaign in Ukraine, we found that Russian propaganda has very uneven effects. Whether it sways individuals to vote for pro-Russian candidates — or backfires, and makes them less likely to do so — depends on the political predispositions of the target audience.
The nation’s biggest conservative broadcaster is putting words in its anchors’ mouths. Critics blame the FCC.
Critics say the Federal Communications Commission is responsible for enabling and emboldening the right-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group in ways that could ultimately hurt conservatives and liberals alike.The FCC eliminated the “main studio rule,” a federal requirement that radio and TV stations operate a physical studio in the areas where they were licensed. In voting to repeal the rule, FCC Chairman Pai said technological advances make it no longer necessary for stations to keep the lights on in a physical studio; many broadcasters, including NPR, agreed.
Fake news is about to get a lot worse. That will make it easier to violate human rights — and get away with it. (Washington Post)
Submitted by benton on Tue, 04/03/2018 - 06:21Why President Trump’s support for Sinclair Broadcasting is so concerning
[Commentary] President Donald Trump’s April 2 Sinclair tweet highlights the fact that in his administration, companies that favor the president seem to get treated one way, while those who appear to be neutral or even opposed to his administration risk getting publicly abused by him. President Trump’s tweet in support of Sinclair dredges up this disconcerting history. But it’s also troubling on a deeper level.