The National Desk
U.S. right
Background
The National Desk launched nationally on January 18, 2021, as Sinclair Broadcast Group's daily syndicated newscast, formalized from an earlier headline-news service; it now airs morning, evening, and weekend editions on more than 80 Sinclair stations plus TheNationalDesk.com. Sinclair itself has a long history of centralizing conservative-leaning content across its station group, including mandatory 'must-run' segments and scripted promos that drew national attention in 2018 for their uniformity. Media Bias/Fact Check rates TND 'Right-Center' with high factual reporting, noting it uses loaded language favoring conservative causes, while AllSides rates it 'Right.' Media Matters for America, a left-leaning watchdog, has documented repeated instances of the outlet spreading misinformation on COVID-19, immigration, the economy, and election integrity. An independent review in March 2025 found the outlet gave largely positive coverage to President Trump and Elon Musk with little scrutiny of administration actions, a pattern that has continued into the second Trump term. As part of Sinclair's larger corporate news operation, TND reflects the company's broader editorial tilt rather than operating as an independent newsroom.
Sources
- Sinclair Broadcast Group Formally Names Its Headline News Service "The National Desk"
- The National News Desk - Wikipedia
- TND – The National Desk - Bias and Credibility - Media Bias/Fact Check
- The National Desk Media Bias | AllSides
- Sinclair's National Desk, which frequently airs conservative misinformation, is expanding to a nighttime broadcast | Media Matters for America
Profile compiled 2026-09-24; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.