By Piper Sartison
Elm Staff Writer
Sinclair Broadcast Group, a conservative media company, purchased The Baltimore Sun in January. The local purchase signifies The Sun’s return to Maryland media ownership.
David D. Smith, the executive chairman of the Broadcast Group, is known to be a conservative businessman, according to The Baltimore Banner. Readers are wondering if the change in ownership will result in a change in political bias in the news published by The Sun.
According to The New York Times, The Sun is the largest media company in Maryland. Smith, who was raised in Baltimore, purchased Baltimore Sun Media company with the intent of also owning “several other Baltimore area publications.”
The Editor-in-Chief of The Sun Triffon G. Alatzas stated in an email that Smith’s motivations in purchasing the media company resided in his desires to “support his hometown newspaper,” according to The New York Times.
Smith previously criticized The Sun for their lack of articles on “government dysfunction.” Throughout the years, Smith has also been cited to have held many conservative and controversial claims.
“I’m in the news business because I believe…we have an absolute responsibility to serve the public interest,” Smith said for The Baltimore Sun. “I think the paper can be hugely profitable and successful and serve a greater public interest over time…We have one job, to tell the truth, present the facts, period. That’s our job.”
According to The Washington Post, there is controversy surrounding Smith and the staff writers of The Sun. According to the article, Smith told all 60 staff writers in a conference room that he has not read the paper in 40 years.
Izadi and Wagner write: “Smith seemed to have strong opinions — negative ones — about The Sun and the fleet of suburban papers he purchased alongside, which he laid out in a tense, [two] and a half hour meeting that left many staffers baffled about the multimillionaire’s intentions for the city’s 186-year-old newspaper.”
The meeting Smith held with the staff writers of The Sun left many confused with his intentions as an owner. Arguably, one can infer that Smith was motivated by power and financial gain and rejected any connection to journalism.
The Washington Post published controversy from an audio recording of Smith who stated the purpose of a newspaper is to solely “manufacture content…a product that people want.”
Smith’s lack of knowledge or care for newspapers, as well as his conceptions of media and the government should make viewers concerned with this major purchase and shift in ownership. It will likely mean an influx of right-wing bias for the newspaper that could cause immeasurable harm to the political mentalities of Maryland readership.
The Sun is the biggest newspaper in Maryland; they hold great influence over Maryland residents’ perception of the news. For the company to be purchased by a figure who does not seem to value or understand the importance of journalism will only further the separation and distrust between readers and the media.
Staff writers and readers of The Sun are rightfully worried over the direction of their company, and there will be a definite shift in the perception of the publication.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Photo caption: The Baltimore Sun will likely see a conservative lean in future issues.