The Corporate Battle For CNN Shows The Extent to Which Flawed American Journalism Truly Is.

This past Thursday night, while unconfirmed reports spread concerning an incident at Brown University, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins used social media, noting the confusion and pointing viewers to her channel's 9pm newscast.

While CNN is certainly not a impeccable news source, her statement seemed accurate for numerous observers. It is one of the outlets where one can locate grounded and mostly trustworthy reporting – particularly during fast-moving events such as the one developing in the vicinity of a New Hampshire storage facility.

A Precarious Position During a Corporate Battle

But the news network, now four and a half decades old, finds itself in a vulnerable position as two giant media corporations compete for ownership of its parent company, Warner Bros Discovery.

Whatever the outcome, the future of CNN has become part of a high-risk game of business acquisition, not as a question of what benefits the news-consuming public.

“This is yet another example of the fundamental flaws with origins in decades of governmental choices,” said Victor Pickard, writer of “Democracy Without Journalism?” and a professor of media policy at the University of Pennsylvania.

The speculation about who will own Warner Bros Discovery – will it be Netflix or Paramount Skydance? – overlooks a broader point.

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

The Complicating Factor: The Former President

This situation is further muddied by Donald Trump’s longstanding stance about a network he has frequently denounced as perhaps his chief “fake news” antagonist.

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

Trump now asserts that CNN needs new ownership. This can be interpreted as ownership that will protect him from criticism and scrutiny. That is one reason why he seems to support Paramount Skydance, which has made a hostile bid.

There is a basis to prefer that suitor more. For one thing, it is controlled by David Ellison, son of the Trump-friendly Larry Ellison, one of the world’s richest people.

Paramount, parent of CBS News, also recently placed the conservative Bari Weiss, noted for her “anti-woke” beliefs, as the editor-in-chief of that venerable news network.

A Future of More Uncertainty

Notably, if Netflix prevails, CNN and other cable outlets would first be carved out into a standalone company. That would be a welcome development to many at the network, but it’s not exactly a secure position. That arrangement could set up CNN for a future sale. The cycle continues.

If you ask Timothy Wu, a great deal of this is a violation of antitrust statutes, anyway. The well-known analyst of big tech’s dominance stated that anti-trust laws should disallow both deals.

“Either merger would be detrimental to the country, and both should be contested by the government,” Wu argued.

The Fundamental Issue and a Path Forward

Whatever happens in this situation, the underlying crisis endures.

“Our current system is a profoundly system hostile to democracy, but we shouldn’t give in to a sense of powerlessness,” Pickard said. Regulatory choices – originating in the 1930s and 1940s – helped to build this profit-obsessed monster, and different policy decisions can tackle it.

Can reform occur in an era where the Federal Communications Commission chair won’t even affirm that the agency is independent? Change is very unlikely now, but that is not to say it will be impossible forever.

Initiatives that support independent news organizations, aid local journalism, finance public media, and outlaw the consolidation of media power in a handful of hands are within reach – they are essential for a healthy democracy.

In the world of media ownership, bigger isn’t better. And news organizations such as CNN shouldn’t be pawns in the newest merger game.