BY BETH COMERY IN THE PROVIDENCE DAILY DOSE
So this is how Frank Coletta wants to end his career? As a cynical collaborator in the attempted authoritarian take-down of American democracy? Why not just retire — and speak out.
By now we have all seen the reports about Sinclair Broadcasting forcing its local on-air newsreaders to recite verbatim the Sinclair/Trump “fake news” manifesto.
Coletta performed with Alison Bologna for the WJAR Channel segment. (Complete text here.)
***Please Note: Here is a partial list of Turnto10 advertisers to boycott! Cardi’s Furniture, Jordan’s Furniture, Tarbox Motors, Cumberland Farms, Subway, Acura Warwick, Grieco Honda. (I compiled this list myself within the last week.)***
The New York Times has the video as well as how Timothy Burke, the video director at Deadspin, came to compile all the segments into this horrifying, synchronized, montage of Trump agitprop robots.
EDITOR'S NOTE: if you need more reasons to boycott Sinclair's Channel 10, here's what Donald Trump had to say about the controversy:
The Fake News Networks, those that knowingly have a sick and biased AGENDA, are worried about the competition and quality of Sinclair Broadcast. The “Fakers” at CNN, NBC, ABC & CBS have done so much dishonest reporting that they should only be allowed to get awards for fiction!Deadspin is a sports website — they know how to montage. And thank you Mr. Burke.
Why on earth would Frank Coletta agree to take part in this shameless attack on one of our most cherished democratic institutions, the free press? He could have resigned and become a hero.
Instead he will be remembered, at best, as a willing tool of the Trump propaganda machine.
Yes, Alison Bologna also appeared in the Channel 10 version, but she may have fewer options.
The younger on-air personalities probably need their jobs and may be hoping to ride this out.
Keep in mind, if Sinclair is allowed to buy Tribune, they will operate 72% of the local news stations in the country. Where can these people go right now?
Still, I hope that she and everybody else walks out. Word on the street is that the Channel 10 crew is miserable.
Bologna — Harvard, Columbia School of Journalism, Edward R. Murrow Award, etc. — could probably get a job somewhere else. How about academia?
John Oliver updated his previous Sinclair Broadcast Group exposé with a piece on this latest development.
You can write to Channel 10 at 23 Kenney Drive, Cranston, RI, 02920. And follow the opposition on #TurnOff10. Future protests are in the works.