WJLA
U.S. right
Background
WJLA-TV (channel 7) has broadcast in Washington, D.C. since 1947, and for decades operated as a locally focused ABC affiliate, including a long run under Allbritton Communications, which also launched the Politico-linked TBD.com news venture. In 2014, Sinclair Broadcast Group acquired WJLA and its sister stations from Allbritton for $985 million, folding it into Sinclair's large national chain of local stations. The Washington Post and media watchdogs noted a 'subtle but noticeable turn to the right' after the sale, as WJLA began airing Sinclair-produced national segments from its Washington bureau that were often critical of the Obama administration and later included commentary from former Trump campaign aide Boris Epshteyn and a recurring 'Terrorism Alert Desk' feature. Sinclair drew nationwide controversy in 2018 when a viral video showed anchors at WJLA and dozens of other Sinclair stations reading an identical company-scripted promo warning about 'one-sided news' and 'fake news,' which critics said mimicked Trump administration rhetoric. Sinclair has also required its stations to run conservative-leaning commentary segments as company-wide 'must-runs,' a practice press critics and outlets like Media Matters and FAIR have documented extensively. Day-to-day, WJLA's local news and weather coverage of the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region is largely conventional local broadcast journalism, distinct from the more politically inflected national inserts required by its parent company. Overall, WJLA is best understood as a mainstream local news outlet whose national-affairs content is shaped by an ownership group with a documented conservative editorial tilt.
Sources
- WJLA-TV
- A short history of the right-wing politics of Sinclair Broadcasting | Media Matters for America
- Sinclair Makes Dozens Of News Anchors Read Same Script - CBS News
- Sinclair broadcast group demands editorial control - NPR
- How Sinclair Sneaks Right-Wing Spin Into Millions of Households — FAIR
Profile compiled 2026-09-26; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.