Pros
So, you’ve decided to work for Sinclair Broadcast Group. Congratulations on selling your hard labor, privacy, creativity, and any sense of happiness to the biggest name in local news! The Pros are: 1. Relative Pay- you will most likely get a slightly bigger bread crumb than the folks who work at other stations in your market. 2. Health Insurance: The health plan isn’t bad either, ranges from $50-200/pay period, but that $50 is a huge chunk of your breadcrumb for lower level employees, which -salary wise-is everyone except the GM and News Director. Still, if you are like me and have dependents and absolutely need to give up that $100 a month, it’s not the worst you could do. The copays are about $40/visit. If I or my child had to have doctor visits more than once a month, this would not be feasible on my *salary. 3. Mobility- Sinclair is the biggest name in local news. They own nearly two-thirds of stations in the country, so going to a different market is a lot easier than with other companies. There are more markets to choose from, and directors and managers have a network of talent to choose from.
Cons
1. The Pay- Unacceptably horrendous. As previously stated, this is THE BIGGEST name in local news. This company pulls in billions of dollars of profit a year, and they are ever-growing. That being said, there’s no reason that folks who get a 4 year degree and intern and get YEARS of experience prior to coming to work for this company should be paid anything less than a living wage, regardless of market size or station performance. 2. Station/Company Culture- Sales and Business are prioritized over actual journalism and informing the public. I can’t speak for other Sinclair stations, but in my market (bottom 50... I know) News depts, especially photogs, producers, etc. are treated as an afterthought. We are underpaid, and scapegoated for a lot of the stations problems. 2a. There is too much corporate oversight where NEWS is concerned. The sales and business departments operate within typically rigid, tradition 9-5 job culture. This isn’t feasible for News. There are strict rules against overtime, and make-up time. So if your story/VOSOT can’t be turned within the 8 hrs you’re scheduled then you’re deemed a rule breaker. God forbid, you come in early or leave late just to woke your 8 hours and still effectively turn your stories on time- it’s forbidden. In fact, they call it “stealing company time”. 3. Mobility- Sinclair owning the overwhelming majority of news stations is also a horrible thing. If you decide to exit your contract early, or if you get fired, quit or exit this company on any circumstances other than finishing out your contract (and resigning), be prepared to never work in local news again. They own everything. You will be blacklisted. That’s now over two-thirds of journalism jobs that your now don’t qualify for. 4. Seriously, avoid this place. Hopefully all the above sways folks away from this place if the obviously unethical right-wing opinion junk doesn’t do it for you. This is not a good company. I wish I had known what I know now about Sinclair when I was looking for jobs after college.