As reported by MediaMatters, local right-wing squawker Charlie Sykes seems to have ambitions that extend far beyond Wisconsin.
Wisconsin-based radio host Charlie Sykes may want to be the next Glenn Beck.
But a new marketing project aimed at spreading his hard conservative talk brand beyond home station WTMJ of Milwaukee to web, video, social media and perhaps other media outlets owned by parent company Journal Communications is drawing concern in the state’s media community. Sykes’ burgeoning network of platforms resembles nothing other than a smaller-scale version of the former Fox News host’s sprawling web-based empire.
On Monday Sykes promoted RightWisconsin.com, his new project, on his WTMJ Blog, stating in part,
The playing field remains tilted against conservatives. The left still controls the mainstream media, universities, and have a head start on some of the new media.
That is where RightWisconsin comes in.
RightWisconsin will be a digital community, a rallying point, a one-stop source for conservatives on the front lines here.
RightWisconsin will be more than simply another conservative website; it will have a full-time staff and multiple platforms — mobile, tablet, internet, social media applications.
What’s ironic about Syke’s statement about the left controlling the mainstream media is that Charlie Sykes is firmly entrenched as a member of the mainstream media here in Wisconsin, given that he’s an employee of Journal Communications, Wisconsin’s largest media company. What’s more, Journal Communications has given Charlie Sykes a large audience for his right-wing vitriol here in southeastern Wisconsin, so Sykes’ claim that the left controls the mainstream media certainly seems curious, at least when it comes to Wisconsin.
Sykes later touts the fact that Journal Communications is backing his venture, writing,
We can do all of this because we have the resources of a major media company behind us, including the state’s biggest radio station and top-rated television station. In other words, we have built-in platforms for promotion as well as the infrastructure to make RightWisconsin multi-media.
We are hoping to partner with conservative groups throughout the state. RightWisconsin will not be in competition with those groups, it will provide another outlet for them. And it will drive the left and their allies nuts.
Given Sykes’ boast that he has the backing of Journal Communications in his latest effort to promote his right-wing beliefs, I think we can safely put to rest any assertions that Journal Communications – and by extension the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WTMJ TV and WTMJ 620AM – are either unbiased or biased towards liberals.
Mainstream media bias? Yep, biased in favor of the right wing!
Steve Hanson has more on this over at Uppity WIsconsin, and James Rowen has his own take over at The Political Environment.
Rather ironic that in a blog post denying liberal media bias, you cite a source that says the “state’s media community” is concerned about the spread of Sykes’ conservative talk beyond one station.
Explain your point.
So are you trying to say that only “liberal media” would be concerned about the spread of Sykes’ vitriol beyond his current audience? I’d argue that any member of the media who truly strives to be unbiased would be concerned about Journal Communications’ support for Sykes’ right-wing rhetoric.
I get your “one station” point. Nonetheless the blog posting was about something more sinister, mainly the concern by real journalists that Sykes’s vomit is leaving a stench from which objective news coverage may not recover.
We live in an age of information overload. Sykes expanding his brand doesn’t threaten anyone, or anything. It merely vexes those who disagree with him and despise what popularity he enjoys.
I couldn’t help but create NotRightWisconsin.com.
Let’s all profit from incivility!
No Roland. It’s his association with a still somewhat respected media, though JS is going down fast. It taints those still legitimate journalists, you know, the ones who have standards.