Report Claims 'MAGA Ally' Acquires CNN
A media report alleges that CNN has been acquired by an ally of the "Make America Great Again" movement. The same report claims the deal is causing significant restructuring and layoffs at CBS. The unconfirmed development has ignited debate over media consolidation and the potential for increased partisan influence in major news outlets.
The winning bid for CNN's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, comes from Paramount Skydance, led by CEO David Ellison. Ellison is the son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, a prominent supporter and financial backer of Donald Trump. This connection has fueled concerns about a potential shift in the network's editorial direction. The deal follows a bidding war with Netflix, which had offered to buy only Warner Bros. Discovery's studio and streaming assets, excluding CNN and other linear networks. Paramount, however, pursued all of the company's assets with a revised offer of $111 billion, which the Warner Bros. Discovery board deemed a "superior deal" after Netflix declined to raise its bid. Concerns over CNN's future under Paramount ownership are amplified by recent changes at CBS News, which Paramount already owns. Following its merger with Skydance, Paramount has initiated significant restructuring at CBS, with layoffs expected to affect up to 15% of the news staff. The CBS restructuring has already resulted in the closure of its Johannesburg bureau and the disbanding of its race and culture unit, which was established in 2020. The new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, has signaled a move away from "commodity" news toward more "personality-driven" journalism. The acquisition has raised alarms among press freedom advocates, who fear a consolidation of media ownership under figures with clear political alignments. Reports have previously surfaced that David Ellison gave assurances to Trump allies that he would make sweeping changes at CNN if he were to acquire it. The deal is still subject to regulatory approval, which will be scrutinized by the Justice Department's antitrust division in the U.S. and by regulators in Europe. In the interim, CNN's current CEO, Mark Thompson, has urged staff not to jump to conclusions about the network's future.
