The Baltimore Sun is returning to local ownership — with a buyer who has made his politics clear

The return of a struggling newspaper from an investment firm to a local owner would normally be cause for celebration in the troubled news industry. But The Baltimore Sun’s newly announced owner has a very specific political background, and some are concerned about what the 187-year-old publication could become. The new owner is David D. Smith, who is executive chairman of the national Sinclair broadcast chain. Sinclair has attracted attention for pushing a conservative viewpoint, and Smith has supported conservative causes for years. It's hardly new for a news organization to be owned by someone with strong political views; the question for many is whether that will influence the product.