Getting Out From Under Sinclair's Thumb

The exodus at The Baltimore Sun continues, and this time it’s a big one.

Longtime correspondent Jeff Barker has called it quits after a quarter-century at the paper. Barker took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce his resignation, and he didn't hold back on why he’s walking away from a 25-year career there.

Barker made it clear he’s done working under the shadow of Sinclair Broadcast Group executive chairman David Smith, who purchased the paper earlier this year.

Insiders tell FTVLive that morale at the paper has been cratering since Smith took the reins, with many journalists feeling the sting of Sinclair-style management creeping into the print newsroom. Barker’s exit is just the latest sign that veteran journalists are refusing to stay under Smith's thumb.

When a 25-year veteran decides he'd rather walk out the door than stick around to see what Smith does next, it tells you everything you need to know about the current state of The Sun.