Over 200 journalists, academics, and filmmakers have signed a letter opposing the Paramount Skydance takeover of CNN following the former’s purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery.
The letter from the Freedom of the Press Foundation argued that Paramount taking control of CNN will lead to “improper political meddling” from CEO David Ellison, per HuffPo, citing the reported changes at CBS.
“News segments critical of Trump policies have been pulled; revered producers and reporters have quit rather than be censored; shows Trump dislikes, like ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,’ have been cancelled; and CBS Evening News has taken to airing flattering features on Trump officials, like one calling Secretary of State Marco Rubio the ‘ultimate Florida man,'” the letter said.
“With this track record, Ellison will likely alter CNN’s editorial direction (not to mention meddle with HBO’s documentaries) to be more friendly to the administration, threatening press freedom,” the letter added.
The letter further pressed regulators and lawmakers to regard the Paramount’s purchase of Warner Bros. as a “political arrangement to circumvent constitutional safeguards, with severe consequences for American democracy.”
Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta signed the letter along with former ABC and CBS News correspondent Judy Muller, and Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras.
David Elison told CNBC in March that editorial independence will be maintained at CNN under his leadership.
“CNN is an incredible brand with an incredible team, and we absolutely believe in the independence that needs to be maintained, obviously for those incredible journalists, and we want to support that going forward,” Ellison said.
“Who we want to talk to is the 70 percent of Americans, and really around the world, that identify as centre-left or centre-right. And we want to be in the truth business. We want to be in the trust business. And that’s not going to change,” he added.