Here's Why That Video Of Reporters Reading The Same Script Went Viral

"Fake news" has become one of President Trump's favorite mantras. A video of reporters reading from the same script proves the idea of fake news has infiltrated local news — just not in the way Trump claims.

A compilation video that went viral this weekend shows dozens of reporters repeating the exact same words, highlighting how Sinclair Broadcast Group is using its news stations to back up the Trump administration's "fake news" crusade. Sinclair owns or operates more than 170 television stations across the country, more than any other U.S. media company — giving its pro-Trump propaganda a wide reach.

"Some media outlets publish these same fake stories … stories that just aren’t true, without checking facts first," the reporters all say in the promo. "Unfortunately, some members of the media use their platforms to push their own personal bias and agenda to control exactly what people think. This is extremely dangerous to a democracy."

The journalists in the video go on to say that they understand the truth isn't politically left or right. "Our commitment to factual reporting is the foundation of our credibility, now more than ever," they say.

But, they explain, local journalists are only human, so their reporting "might fall short" sometimes. The promo then encourages viewers to tell their local news station if they feel their coverage is unfair.

The new promo also offers no evidence that national reporters publish stories that "just aren’t true" without checking the facts. And former Sinclair staffers were troubled by the message. "What they’re doing now is ridiculous propaganda and it’s an embarrassment to the profession,” Bill Melugin, now a reporter for Fox 11 Los Angeles, wrote on Twitter. “I feel for my former colleagues being forced to read this garbage.”

Last month, CNN’s Brian Stelter reported that local news stations owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group were instructed to air the promo, touting the "fake news" dilemma allegedly spreading across America. Reporters from Texas to Michigan are seen in the video.

Trump has used the term "fake news" to create distrust between voters and the media since he took office. He even established "Fake News Awards" in January to determine "the most corrupt & biased of the Mainstream Media," as he put it.

John Oliver did an entire Last Week Tonight segment last year explaining how Sinclair works conservative political views into local news, while concealing it as unbiased reporting. "With Sinclair, they're injecting Fox-worthy content into the mouths of your local news anchors," Oliver said.

While Trump's unproven declarations have concerned journalists nationwide, Sinclair's veiled message about "the troubling trend of irresponsible" is more deceptive. The Republican president is known to be conservative; local news stations with a largely unknown owner aren't expected to attack national media outlets in the name of a conservative political agenda.

However, the video showing news anchors around the country reading from the same Sinclair script sheds light on how the broadcast conglomerate is sneaking a pro-Trump agenda into local news broadcasts.