Mark E. Hyman
Encyclopedia
Mark E. Hyman is the Vice President for Corporate Relations for Sinclair Broadcast Group
, the largest chain of local television stations in the United States
. Hyman became a visible presence during local news broadcasts over Sinclair's stations, many of which aired The Point from late 2001 through November 2006. The Point was a controversial daily televised commentary
by Hyman. In December 2010 Hyman's commentaries returned to select Sinclair-owned stations under the title "Behind the Headlines with Mark Hyman."
and was a Captain in the United States Navy Reserve
. He currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland with his wife and four children.
The program became known for its controversial political commentary. It was frequently criticized as one-sided propaganda
.
On November 2, 2006, after more than five years and 2,000 daily commentaries, Hyman announced that he planned to drop his daily commentary at the end of the month, citing a desire to spend more time with his four children.http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/lifestyle/bal-bz.to.hyman03nov03,0,214203.story?coll=bal-artslife-today
The final "The Point" commentary aired on November 30.
- as "aiding and abetting the enemy" when they reported on civilians accidentally killed during the U.S. attack on Afghanistan
.
He later used the phrase "cheese-eating surrender monkeys
" to describe the French
in one of his editorials. Other notable slurs include calling war protesters "whack-jobs" and "communists."
In late 2004, he took heavy criticism for the firing of Jon Lieberman
, Sinclair's Washington
bureau chief and reporter, following the latter's public criticism of Sinclair's announced plan to air the controversial anti-Kerry
film Stolen Honor
as a news program in prime time
on all of its stations.
Hyman called Lieberman a "disgruntled employee" and said the firing was because Lieberman had "[spoken] to the press about company business." Lieberman pointed to the fact that Sinclair had previously been pleased enough with him as an employee to promote him, and attributed his firing to his criticism of Sinclair's Stolen Honor plan, a plan he claims originated with Hyman.
On August 30, Hyman claimed that Social Security
discriminates against minorities. Politically progressive media watchdog group Media Matters for America
disputed this claim by saying that some minorities have longer life expectancies after retirement than whiteshttp://mediamatters.org/items/200508300006, though the vast majority of minorities in the United States do in fact have shorter life expectancy than their Caucasian counterparts.
He also claimed spouses who worked for less than 10 years because they "gave up [their] career in order to raise a family... get diddly-squat"http://www.newscentral.tv/uploads/franchise/point/point-20050830.shtml. Media Matters disputed this as well, saying that married Social Security recipients are eligible for all the benefits that they have earned for themselves, and, in addition, if those benefits are less than half of what their spouse receives, they also receive spousal benefits that increase their overall benefits to an amount equal to half their partner's benefit, plus survivor benefits.http://mediamatters.org/items/200508310003
Sinclair Broadcast Group
The Sinclair Broadcast Group is an American telecommunications company that operates the largest number of local television stations in the United States. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, it owns a total of 57 stations across the country in 35 primarily small and medium markets, many of...
, the largest chain of local television stations in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Hyman became a visible presence during local news broadcasts over Sinclair's stations, many of which aired The Point from late 2001 through November 2006. The Point was a controversial daily televised commentary
Political criticism
Political criticism is criticism that is specific of or relevant to politics, including policies, politicians, political parties, and types of government.-Controversy:...
by Hyman. In December 2010 Hyman's commentaries returned to select Sinclair-owned stations under the title "Behind the Headlines with Mark Hyman."
Biography
Hyman is a 1981 graduate of the United States Naval AcademyUnited States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
and was a Captain in the United States Navy Reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
. He currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland with his wife and four children.
The Point
Beginning in 2001, he created conservative one-minute editorial segments called, The Point that were broadcast on many of the group's 62 stations, during local news programs. Sinclair Broadcast Group's own description of the program was as follows:The Point is a one-minute daily commentary that is intended to stimulate public discourse. The Point encourages viewer feedback, and every Saturday we air select viewer comments, both positive and negative. In an age of homogenized, bland, politically correct news, we are proud to deliver news and commentary that stimulates critical thinking and encourages viewers to get involved.
The program became known for its controversial political commentary. It was frequently criticized as one-sided propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
.
On November 2, 2006, after more than five years and 2,000 daily commentaries, Hyman announced that he planned to drop his daily commentary at the end of the month, citing a desire to spend more time with his four children.http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/lifestyle/bal-bz.to.hyman03nov03,0,214203.story?coll=bal-artslife-today
The final "The Point" commentary aired on November 30.
Controversies
Controversy over Hyman began after the September 11 attacks, when he attacked some journalists and news agencies - such as National Public Radio, the New York Times, and CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
- as "aiding and abetting the enemy" when they reported on civilians accidentally killed during the U.S. attack on Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
He later used the phrase "cheese-eating surrender monkeys
Cheese-eating surrender monkeys
"Cheese-eating surrender monkeys", sometimes shortened to "surrender monkeys", is a derogatory description of French people that was coined in 1995 by a writer of the television series The Simpsons. The phrase has since entered two Oxford quotation dictionaries...
" to describe the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in one of his editorials. Other notable slurs include calling war protesters "whack-jobs" and "communists."
In late 2004, he took heavy criticism for the firing of Jon Lieberman
Jon Lieberman
Jon Leiberman has been a correspondent and producer of America's Most Wanted. He has been a reporter for WBFF in Baltimore and the newsman at WIYY 98 Rock radio in Baltimore. He has also worked as a reporter in New Mexico and Kansas...
, Sinclair's Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
bureau chief and reporter, following the latter's public criticism of Sinclair's announced plan to air the controversial anti-Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
film Stolen Honor
Stolen Honor
Stolen Honor is a 45-minute video documentary that was released in September 2004. It features interviews with a number of American men who were prisoners of war in North Vietnam, who contend they suffered increased maltreatment while prisoners as a direct result of John Kerry's Fulbright Hearing...
as a news program in prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
on all of its stations.
Hyman called Lieberman a "disgruntled employee" and said the firing was because Lieberman had "[spoken] to the press about company business." Lieberman pointed to the fact that Sinclair had previously been pleased enough with him as an employee to promote him, and attributed his firing to his criticism of Sinclair's Stolen Honor plan, a plan he claims originated with Hyman.
On August 30, Hyman claimed that Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
discriminates against minorities. Politically progressive media watchdog group Media Matters for America
Media Matters for America
Media Matters for America is a politically progressive media watchdog group which says it is "dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media." Set up as a 501 non-profit organization, MMfA was founded in 2004 by journalist and...
disputed this claim by saying that some minorities have longer life expectancies after retirement than whiteshttp://mediamatters.org/items/200508300006, though the vast majority of minorities in the United States do in fact have shorter life expectancy than their Caucasian counterparts.
He also claimed spouses who worked for less than 10 years because they "gave up [their] career in order to raise a family... get diddly-squat"http://www.newscentral.tv/uploads/franchise/point/point-20050830.shtml. Media Matters disputed this as well, saying that married Social Security recipients are eligible for all the benefits that they have earned for themselves, and, in addition, if those benefits are less than half of what their spouse receives, they also receive spousal benefits that increase their overall benefits to an amount equal to half their partner's benefit, plus survivor benefits.http://mediamatters.org/items/200508310003
After The Point
Hyman continues to offer his conservative opinions in print and online for American Spectator magazine. Hyman's editorials returned to select Sinclair-owned stations in a dozen TV markets under the title "Behind the Headlines with Mark Hyman" in December 2010.External links
- "The Point with Mark Hyman Wins Four Telly Awards" (Sinclair Broadcast Group press release)
- "Mark Hyman's 'The Point'" description from TammyBruce.com
- "Sinclair No Longer Gets 'The Point'" by Allison Romano, Broadcasting & Cable, November 3, 2006
- "American Morning: Candidates Prepare for Third Debate; Controversy Over Sinclair Group's Anti-Kerry Film; Botox to Help Breast Cancer Surgery Patients", American MorningAmerican MorningAmerican Morning is the morning television show on CNN. It premiered in 2001.-About the show:American Morning is hosted by Ashleigh Banfield, Zoraida Sambolin & Soledad O'Brien. Others who appear regularly are Rob Marciano with the weather, Sunny Hostin on legal news, and CNN senior medical...
, CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
Transcripts, October 12, 2004 - One-sided "The Point" - Media Matters examines the daily one-minute editorial by Hyman (with video)
- The CounterPoint - weblog that regularly countered Hyman's daily on-air editorial
- "Mark Hyman..." by Bob Fitrakis - article describing Hyman's ongoing CIA ties.
- Another Outing? Sinclair TV's Bush Propagandist Mark Hyman Suddenly Quits