Netflix and Paramount deals are both wrong for Warner Bros Discovery - and democracy
The Guardian••general
Key Points:
- Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded that CNN be sold as part of any deal involving Warner Bros Discovery, influencing current media merger talks.
- Netflix has made an $82.7 billion bid for Warner Bros Discovery, countered by a hostile $108 billion bid from Paramount Skydance, raising concerns about unprecedented media concentration and threats to free expression.
- The Trump administration has reportedly used merger reviews to extract editorial concessions from media companies, exemplified by Paramount's settlement of a Trump lawsuit and installation of a "bias" monitor at CBS News.
- Both potential mergers threaten journalistic independence, with Paramount's ownership linked to suppressing critical journalism and Netflix's history of yielding to political pressure by removing politically sensitive content.
- Regulators like the FCC and Department
