CNN Is Set for Trump-Friendly New Owners: How Jake Tapper & Tony Dokoupil Reacted
What To Know
- Paramount Skydance won the bid to acquire all Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) assets, surpassing Netflix’s offer.
- The acquisition raises concerns due to Paramount CEO David Ellison’s ties to Trump and previous assurances to make changes at CNN.
- Public and industry reactions include worries about mass layoffs, the future of CNN, and potential editorial changes similar to those seen at CBS News.
CNN’s Jake Tapper and CBS News’ Tony Dokoupil both reported the news on Thursday night (February 26) that Warner Bros. Discovery had accepted Paramount Skydance’s latest bid for the company’s assets. The deal means that CNN is headed towards getting Trump-friendly owners.
Earlier that day, WBD said that Paramount’s latest bid, up from $30 to $31 per share, was better than Netflix’s previous offer. Netflix later announced it would not match the offer and would instead withdraw from the bidding, essentially giving the win to Paramount.
This is significant for several reasons, one of which is that, unlike Netflix’s bid, Paramount’s is for all WBD assets. Netflix was only looking to acquire the film studio and HBO streaming services, whereas Paramount’s offer also includes the WBD linear networks, including TNT, TBS, and, perhaps most significantly, CNN.
“Moments ago, Netflix said it is declining to raise its offer for the purchase of Warner Bros studios and HBO,” Tapper said on Thursday’s edition of The Lead. He went on to explain how Paramount’s offer includes “the whole enchilada, including us here at CNN.”
“Paramount has submitted a superior offer, according to Warner Bros. Discovery‘s board. As I‘ve noted, Warner Bros. Discovery is the parent company of CNN,” he added.
Paramount is run by David Ellison, the son of Oracle’s billionaire co-founder and close Trump ally, Larry Ellison. Last December, the Wall Street Journal reported that David “offered assurances to Trump administration officials that if he bought Warner, he’d make sweeping changes to CNN.”
Trump himself has said publicly, “It’s imperative that CNN be sold,” and referred to the network’s current leaders as a “disgrace.”
Critics fear that Paramount’s ties to Trump will lead to significant changes in CNN’s reporting, transforming it into a more MAGA-friendly network.
CBS News, which is also owned by Paramount, has faced similar criticism in recent months. After the merger with Skydance last year, David hired The Free Press co-founder Bari Weiss as the new editor-in-chief of CBS News. Weiss has been putting her stamp on the network, including firing, hiring, promoting, and killing reports.
One of Weiss’ most significant moves so far was promoting former CBS Mornings co-host Dokoupil to lead CBS Evening News. Since Dokoupil took over the evening broadcast in January, viewers have criticized him for trying to appease the Trump administration.
On Thursday’s episode of CBS Evening News, Dokoupil announced the latest WBD drama, saying, “Netflix says it will not raise its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery to match a rival bid by Paramount Skydance, which, of course, is the parent company of CBS News.”
“Netflix called the deal ‘no longer financially attractive,’ after the Warner Bros. board said the Paramount offer was better,” he continued.
Fans reacted to the news, with one YouTube commenter writing, “Well CNN it was nice knowing you. Adios.”
“Get ready for the bloodiest mass layoffs Hollywood has ever witnessed,” said another.
“The next few episodes of Last Week Tonight are going to be interesting…,” another added, referring to comedian John Oliver’s late-night show, which airs on HBO.
Another added, “One step closer to state-owned media.”
“I see the end of CNN after this, sadly. It will be turned into another Fox News,” said one commenter.
“No good for CNN. Who needs two CBS News?” another added.
Conversation15 Comments
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K
The country needs truthful reporting neither right nor left.
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K
Love this… bye-bye people no more Propaganda BS
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M
FOX is the only propaganda network. Guess you forgot the nearly 1 billion dollar defamation suit they had to pay for "fake news" reporting
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A
Well we no longer watch cbs news and we will no longer be watching cnn either
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A
I haven't watched either in years. Why would I want to spend my time here on Earth listening to leftist lies?
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F
Best Part is, that CNN has exclusive contract for news channels is all US Airports. Thus changing the "narrative" to all those "herded cattle". Make People Think Again"??
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W
For years, CNN was my 'go to' news source. But now, they are just a 'pass-through' source of altered truth and outright lies from the trump administration. When a major news channel snuggles up to a convicted felon and prodigious liar for their source of 'news', it's time to move on. Now my TV automatically goes to MSNOW for all my news.
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A
Well, you 'snuggled up' to a 'pathological liar' in Joe Biden.
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G
so corny
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Y
That's why your president loves the uneducated.
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J
Are you joking or just that brainwashed? CNN will now be little more than state run media.
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W
FOX is no longer the only propaganda network. Unfortunately, CNN has now stepped down to FOX's level in the delivery of altered news and propaganda from an administration lead by a convicted felon. Now when CNN interviews someone who spews out propaganda and outright lies, CNN lets it go without any challenge. They've lost the true journalism they used to have.
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D
Weep
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A
True journalism?! Now that's some funny shit there!!! They've been lying to you for years, and you were too stupid to realize it.
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K
Love this yay
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