Sinclair Broadcasting is an ominous threat
While most media outlets are concerned with sex and taxes, the appointed head of the Federal Communication Commission Ajit Pai has been changing communication rules to allow a divisive media conglomerate Sinclair Broadcasting to take over nearly three-fourths of the country's local TV stations including WGN.
The FCC licenses and sells the public airwaves to radio and television stations.
Sinclair requires all of its stations to run daily terrorism alerts.
The David Smith and brothers owned enterprise has openly favored right-wing views to the point where a media critic has called them "a political empire with TV stations" and Fox considers them competition.
The viewers of trusted local stations, the only one in many rural areas, will be getting propaganda with their sports and weather reports.
In addition to providing far more divisive TV news, Ajit Pai is set on closing the internet by allowing the few internet gatekeeper behemoths - Verizon, his former employer, Comcast, and ATT - the ability to block certain websites, slow down, or charge more for their use.
The ordinary user will lose access and more freedom of speech.
In a time when our country needs to become more united, more civil, more open to others' views and ideas, we need more open and more comprehensive coverage of the news, more, not fewer viewpoints, else how can we possibly live up to the original motto of the United States E pluribus unum …"out of many one" - one United States with the input of many, diverse citizens.
We are being threatened with divisive media that cannot but weaken our bonds and lessen our chances of working together to save our democracy from a tragic end. Democracies die in the dark.
Susan Spengler
Palatine
Fight cruel large-game trophy hunting
Kudos to Candy Knippenberg for her letter protesting large game trophy hunting.
I totally agree.
It was so wrong for Trump to lift the ban to allow his sons and others like them to go out and kill innocent animals for trophies.
I understand the ban may be currently in place, but for how long? Until one of them decides to hunt again?
This is beyond cruel. These are intelligent animals who mourn their dead pack members.
Please do contact your representatives and senators to keep these animals safe for generations to come.
Karen Schlabach
Glen Ellyn