🔗 Share this article

Late Thursday, amid swirling speculation regarding the Brown University gunman, the network's Kaitlan Collins took to social media, pointing out the conflicting information and directing people to her channel's 9pm newscast.

While the network is hardly a perfect news source, her words rang true for numerous observers. It remains one of the broadcasters where there exists reality-based and largely reliable reporting – notably during fast-moving events like the one taking place near a New Hampshire storage facility.

A Vulnerable State During a High-Stakes Battle

But CNN, now middle-aged, finds itself in a precarious situation as two massive media empires compete for ownership of its parent company, Warner Bros Discovery.

Regardless of who wins, the future of CNN has become part of a high-stakes game of business acquisition, not as a question of what helps the information-seeking public.

“This represents another instance of the profound systemic issues with roots in decades of governmental choices,” said Victor Pickard, writer of “Democracy Without Journalism?” and a academic specializing in media policy at the University of Pennsylvania.

The speculation about the future owner of Warner Bros Discovery – could it be Netflix or Paramount Skydance? – overlooks a broader point.

“The narrative is crafted as a financial tale with key players as the central actors, but there is very little discussion of the common good,” Pickard explained.

The Complicating Layer: Political Influence

The CNN scenario is complicated by Donald Trump’s opinions about a network he has frequently denounced as perhaps his primary “fake news” foe.

Think back to the chants of “CNN sucks!” at his rallies, his team's disciplinary withdrawal of reporter Jim Acosta’s press credentials, or his sparring with Collins in press briefings.

Trump now claims that the network requires new ownership. This can be interpreted as ownership that will protect him from criticism and scrutiny. That is one reason why he appears to come down on the side of Paramount Skydance, which has made a hostile bid.

Trump has reason to prefer that suitor more. For one thing, it is controlled by David Ellison, son of the pro-Trump Larry Ellison, one of the world’s richest people.

Paramount, parent of CBS News, also recently installed the conservative Bari Weiss, known for her “anti-woke” beliefs, as the top editor of that storied news network.

An Outcome of Further Turmoil

It is important to note, if Netflix prevails, CNN and other cable outlets would first be separated into a independent unit. That would be a welcome development to many at the network, but it’s not exactly a safe harbor. That structure could pave the way for CNN for yet another acquisition. It never ends.

According to Timothy Wu, a lot of this is against the law, anyway. The well-known analyst of big tech’s dominance recently argued that anti-trust laws should prohibit both deals.

“Each proposed deal would be bad for the country, and both should be contested by anti-trust authorities,” Wu stated.

The Fundamental Issue and a Path Forward

Whatever happens with this particular battle, the underlying crisis remains.

“Our current system is a highly system hostile to democracy, but we must resist the belief that change is impossible,” Pickard noted. Regulatory choices – originating in the 1930s and 1940s – helped to build this overly commercial monster, and new policy decisions can fix it.

Will that happen in an era where the Federal Communications Commission chair won’t even affirm that the agency is independent? Overhaul is a distant prospect now, but that doesn’t mean it will never happen.

Measures that bolster independent news organizations, bolster local journalism, fund public media, and prohibit the consolidation of media power in very few hands are within reach – they are necessary for a healthy democracy.

When it comes to media ownership, larger is not superior. And news organizations such as CNN shouldn’t be pawns in the newest merger game.