The following article by Jacob Sugarman was posted on the AlterNet website December 4, 2017:
Imagine, if you can, reading a glowing profile of former national security adviser Steve Bannon, or a featurette about White House communications director Hope Hicks’ favorite hobbies. Now imagine reading one of those stories in the formerly progressive alt-weekly that launched the careers of Ta-Nehisi Coates, David Carr and Katherine Boo, among countless others.
That is the scenario in play if Armstrong Williams and his shadowy business partner, Steve Kalifa, follow through on their threats to buy the Washington City Paper. According to the Washington Post, news of Williams’ interest has “rattled” staffers, with some discussing the possibility of resigning in protest should the purchase come to pass.
Their apprehension would appear justified. While Williams maintains he has no desire to alter the publication’s politics, far-right investors are setting their sights on some of the country’s most prestigious newspapers and magazines, as the conservative Sinclair Broadcasting Group has expanded in 15 territories and Donald Trump continues his unholy crusade against “fake news.” (A recent Poynter study finds Republicans’ trust in the mainstream media has plummeted to historic lows.) Continue reading “Is the Radical Right Attempting Another Media Takeover?”