New Baltimore Sun Owner Insults Staff: Be Like Sinclair

The Baltimore Banner reports:

In a tense, three-hour meeting with staff Tuesday afternoon, new Baltimore Sun owner David Smith told employees he has only read the paper four times in the past few months, insulted the quality of their journalism and encouraged them to emulate a TV station owned by his broadcasting company.

Smith, whose acquisition of the paper from the investment firm Alden Global Capital was announced publicly Monday evening, told staff he had not read newspapers for decades, according to several people who attended the meeting but were not authorized to speak publicly.

Smith is the chairman of Sinclair Inc., which operates more than 200 television stations nationwide, told New York Magazine in 2018 he considered print media “so left-wing as to be meaningless dribble.” Asked Tuesday during the meeting whether he stood by those comments now that he owns one of the most storied titles in American journalism, Smith said yes.

Popular Information reports:

Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and advisor, said that in 2016, the Trump campaign provided Sinclair stations with extensive access to Trump in exchange for friendly coverage that did not include fact-checking. “We are here to deliver your message,” Smith told Trump in a 2016 meeting.

Smith has used his vast wealth to support a variety of far-right causes. The Baltimore Banner reports that since 2015, Smith, through his family foundation, has donated large sums to Young Americans for Liberty ($581,000), Project Veritas ($536,000), Turning Point USA ($150,000), and Moms for Liberty ($121,000).

In 2022, Smith backed a successful ballot initiative to impose term limits on Baltimore’s elected officials. Currently, Smith is “underwriting Renew Baltimore, a ballot drive to cap and lower the property tax rate.”

The second piece above includes a run-down about the alleged closeted homocon who is Smith’s partner in the purchase. Well worth your time. No paywall.

The Pulitzer-winning Baltimore Sun appeared here several times last year for its investigative work on Catholic clergy sexual abuse.

New Baltimore Sun owner insults staff in meeting, says paper should mimic Fox45 https://t.co/WudolYiJVM

— The Baltimore Banner (@BaltimoreBanner) January 17, 2024

2. The @baltimoresun was purchased by David D. Smith, who is also the executive chairman of Sinclair Broadcasting.

What are Smith’s politics? Here is how he spent some of his money since 2015:

Project Veritas (536K)
Turning Point USA (150K)
Moms for Liberty (121K)

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) January 17, 2024