Sinclair Broadcasting has hired Kaelan Dorr as the company’s new “executive political producer,” who will work alongside the channel’s political guru Boris Epshteyn and his “must run” segment for the channel’s local stations: “Bottom Line With Boris.”
Dorr is a veteran of the Trump administration, first working on the 2016 campaign and then serving in the White House as director of congressional communications for over a year.
“I’m proud to announce I’ve joined Sinclair Broadcast Group as Executive Political Producer!,” said Dorr in a tweet Tuesday, adding that he was “eager to bring my unique experience as a campaign veteran and Trump WH alum to an already stellar group.”
SOME PERSONAL NEWS:
I’m proud to announce I’ve joined Sinclair Broadcast Group as Executive Political Producer! I’ll be working on Bottom Line With @BorisEP, and am eager to bring my unique experience as a campaign veteran and Trump WH alum to an already stellar group.
— Kaelan Dorr (@KDORR_USA) May 29, 2018
“Kaelan is one of D.C’s most promising young talents, bringing a ton of energy and unique perspective,” Epshteyn said in his own tweeted announcement.
Excited to announce that Trump campaign and WH alum Kaelan Dorr is joining Sinclair and Bottom Line w/Boris team as Executive Political Producer! Kaelan is one of D.C’s most promising young talents, bringing a ton of energy and unique perspective. Welcome to the team @KDORR_USA!
— Boris Epshteyn (@BorisEP) May 29, 2018
Epshteyn himself is also a veteran of many GOP campaigns including President Trump’s. The Dorr hire signals Sinclair chief David Smith’s desire to mine talent (and perhaps curry favor) from the current administration.
Epshteyn and his political opinion operation within Sinclair came to wide public attention after Deadspin published a lengthy exposé on his segments and other “must run” commentary that Sinclair forced their local station anchors to read in March.
Despite coming in for wide criticism, Epshteyn shot back, in a “Bottom Line With Boris” segment defending his work as clearly marked commentary, as opposed to mainstream media which he said veils opinions as news.
“In term of my analysis playing during your local news, as you see my segments are very clearly marked as commentary,” he said last month. “The same cannot be said for cable and broadcast news hosts who inject their opinions and bias into news coverage all the time, without drawing any lines between them.”