Journal article
The Good, the Bad, and the Not-So-Terrible: A Comprehensive Analysis of Sinclair’s Effect on Local Television News Quality
Journalism & mass communication quarterly
02/28/2026
DOI: 10.1177/10776990261424267
Abstract
Critics accuse the Sinclair television ownership group of slashing resources and producing biased news. However, few scholars have examined Sinclair’s news quality. Using an investment-based approach to quality, this study provides the first systematic human-coded examination of Sinclair’s local video news quality. Data from 2,300 stories in 40 U.S. markets indicated lower overall quality at Sinclair-owned stations compared to competitors. However, Sinclair outperformed competitors on some quality metrics, and evidence of political bias was minimal. Findings provide insights into how corporate ownership affects local TV, the most trusted source of news in the United States.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The Good, the Bad, and the Not-So-Terrible: A Comprehensive Analysis of Sinclair’s Effect on Local Television News Quality
- Creators
- Jesse Abdenour - University of OregonMegan Denneny - University of KansasEmmanuel Maduneme - University of OregonKaitlin C. Miller - University of AlabamaKylah J. Hedding - University of IowaJustin C. Blankenship - Auburn University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journalism & mass communication quarterly
- DOI
- 10.1177/10776990261424267
- ISSN
- 1077-6990
- eISSN
- 2161-430X
- Publisher
- Sage
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 02/28/2026
- Academic Unit
- School of Journalism and Mass Communication
- Record Identifier
- 9985141958402771
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