As media giants Paramount and Netflix vie for control of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN employees find themselves in a precarious position, focusing more on their own future than on the larger industry battle. Paramount’s owner David Ellison recently launched a $108 billion hostile takeover bid, following Netflix’s earlier bid of $83 billion. The stakes are high for CNN, a division of Warner Bros. Discovery, as the outcome of this bidding war will directly impact its operational direction.
Inside CNN, there is palpable anxiety about the potential changes that could come with new ownership. One employee described the situation as one of “chaos and crisis,” reflecting the uncertainty surrounding the network’s future. There’s a faction within CNN that is not eager to see Paramount take control. “I think there is a very small contingent who wants Paramount… most do not,” stated one staff member. Concerns about Ellison’s management style, which has already transformed CBS significantly, contribute to this skepticism. “I don’t think most like it because they fear him meddling,” another CNN employee remarked.
The prospect of a Netflix acquisition raises different fears. Some employees worry that under Netflix’s potential ownership, Warner Bros. and its assets, including CNN, might be “totally chopped to pieces” in a drastic reshuffling reminiscent of private equity practices. The thought of a “bloodbath” looms large, especially if Paramount merges CNN with CBS, further diluting the network’s identity and autonomy. “They like editorial independence, and I think the reports of what CBS has gone through suggests that may not be the case if there were to be a Paramount takeover,” one employee said, voicing a common apprehension about losing journalistic integrity in the face of corporate restructuring.
Ellison, however, seems to have a different vision for the future of CNN. He responded to a question about merging CNN and CBS by saying, “We want to build a scaled news service that is basically, fundamentally, in the trust business, that is in the truth business, and that speaks to the 70% of Americans that are in the middle.” His goal appears to center on creating a news service that can resonate with a broad audience, yet employees are skeptical about how this will manifest in practice. The fear of losing editorial control remains a significant concern.
Tom Johnson, a former president of CNN, weighed in on the issue, emphasizing that the real challenge is not only about ownership but also about preserving the freedom that news organizations need to operate effectively. “There is such a need for independent, unbiased news services,” Johnson stated. “I so hope that the new CNN owners will see that as their fundamental mission.” His insights underscore a critical point: ownership changes can impact the ethos and integrity of news reporting.
Adding to the conversation, former President Donald Trump made it clear that he believes a change is necessary. He expressed hope that CNN would see new leadership amid the impending ownership transition. “It’s imperative that CNN be sold,” Trump said, criticizing current management as “corrupt or incompetent.” He called for CNN to be included in any potential deal, asserting that ownership matters greatly in terms of accountability and direction.
CNN stands at a crossroads, with the looming threat of a corporate takeover sparking fears among its employees. The tension between the desire for editorial independence and the realities of corporate control encapsulates the challenges traditional media faces today. As Paramount and Netflix battle for dominance in the media landscape, the fate of CNN—and indeed the nature of news reporting itself—hangs in the balance.
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