Sinclair launching digital news brand The National Press on Substack, YouTube

Sinclair is expanding its local news operation into a national subscription product with the launch of The National Press, a digital news service that will draw reporting from about 1,200 journalists working across the company’s television markets.

The project is a partnership between Sinclair and New Media, a digital media company founded in 2026 by former journalists and producers from The Free Press.

The National Press will launch on Substack with free and paid subscription options, while its programming will also be distributed through YouTube, podcast services and social media.

Rather than establishing a separate national reporting staff, the service will use Sinclair journalists at more than 60 content centers around the country to identify stories with broader implications. The concept is based on the idea that major national stories frequently begin as local stories and that reporters working in those communities can provide additional context.

“Our journalists cover the communities where national stories begin,” Sinclair Senior Vice President of News Scott Livingston said in a statement. “They know the people, the institutions and the history behind these stories. The National Press will give that reporting national reach without losing the local knowledge that makes it valuable.”

Sinclair operates or provides services to 178 television stations in 79 markets, giving the company a sizable existing reporting infrastructure from which to build the new product.

The company is also positioning “The National Press” as a new way to generate revenue from journalism already being produced across its local stations. Subscribers will receive a daily morning briefing highlighting local stories that could have national significance.

“Sinclair’s newsrooms produce distinctive reporting every day,” Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer Kevin Cotlove said. “The National Press gives that work a new destination and creates a direct relationship with audiences.”

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Journalist and broadcaster Lyndsay Keith will lead the service and host its weekday morning program, also called “The National Press.” The program will feature Sinclair reporters discussing stories from their communities involving politics, technology, business, culture and other issues.

Two weekly programs are also planned.

“The National Story” will devote each edition to an extended examination of a single subject, incorporating reporting from journalists covering the story along with interviews with people directly involved and outside experts.

“The National Debate” will feature two participants with differing views discussing an issue raised by the organization’s reporting. Sinclair says the program will focus on explaining the factual basis of disagreements rather than declaring a winner.

The National Desk

Initial photos released to the press show Keith sitting on a set originally designed for The National Desk, now known as The National News Desk, Sinclair’s free national news service but with a National Press logo. It is not clear if the two operations will share the same Washington, D.C., studio or workspaces. 

It appears Sinclair will continue to operate The National News Desk brand as well. 

New Media will work with Sinclair on developing the subscription and digital business surrounding the project. The company, founded by Alex Chitty, works with journalists and media organizations on subscription products, sponsorships, podcasts, documentaries, livestreams and events.

The partnership also represents another effort by a large local television station owner to use its local reporting operation beyond the traditional geographic boundaries of its stations. Sinclair’s journalists will continue producing coverage for their individual markets while selected reporting is repackaged and expanded for the national service.

The partnership could draw scrutiny over the editorial direction of the new service.

Sinclair has long faced criticism over a conservative tilt in some of its nationally produced programming and editorial decisions, even as its individual stations maintain local newsrooms serving politically diverse markets.

New Media also has ties to a news organization frequently associated with challenges to traditional media and progressive orthodoxy: The company was founded by former journalists and producers from The Free Press, the digital outlet founded by Bari Weiss.

The Free Press, which was acquired by Paramount in 2025, describes itself as politically independent, though its coverage and commentary have often attracted a center-right and heterodox audience. Weiss continues to help run The Free Press, which is focused largely on commentary and analysis, as she also serves as editor-in-chief of CBS News despite having had no television news experience before being named to the post. 

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