Sinclair Broadcast Group is one of the most powerful media organizations in the country. It owns 193 local television affiliates that collectively reach 40% of American households. Over the last two weeks, Popular Information uncovered how Sinclair has exploited its power to push deceptive attacks about President Biden's mental fitness. 

On June 11, Popular Information exposed how Sinclair injected specious attacks on Biden's age into dozens of local news broadcasts. Sinclair's piece repackaged a deeply flawed Wall Street Journal story claiming that Biden "shows signs of slipping" in private meetings. The only person quoted on the record to support that thesis was former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Popular Information's report included a six-minute video compilation featuring dozens of local Sinclair anchors reading from an identical script. Again and again, local Sinclair anchors are forced to say that concerns about Biden's mental acuity "could be an election decider."

On June 17, Popular Information revealed that Sinclair flooded a vast network of local news websites with misleading articles suggesting that President Biden is mentally unfit for office. The articles are based on specious social media posts by the Republican National Committee, which are then repackaged to resemble news reports. Several of Sinclair's articles promoted an absurd rumor that Biden soiled himself on stage while attending a D-Day celebration in Europe. These thinly disguised political attacks were then syndicated to dozens of local news websites owned by Sinclair, where they were given the imprimatur of mainstream media brands, including NBC, ABC, and CBS. 

Popular Information's reporting reached millions of people through this newsletter, on social media, cable television, and numerous national media outlets. Sinclair was not pleased. The company issued a lengthy statement calling our reporting "outrageous and offensive."

We call it "accurate." 

But despite Sinclair's protestations, the company appears to be making changes. This week, Sinclair paused its attacks on Biden and published a story acknowledging that Trump has "his own problems stumbling over words and mixing up dates."

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