Former CNN host Jim Acosta voiced concerns after Paramount Global reportedly won a bidding war to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN.
According to CNBC, Netflix withdrew its efforts to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery on Thursday after being outbid by Paramount Skydance. The potential deal would place CNN under the same corporate umbrella as CBS News, which Paramount already owns.
During an episode of his online program, The Jim Acosta Show, Acosta suggested the new ownership structure could create a media environment more favorable to President Donald Trump. He questioned whether a combined CBS and CNN under Paramount leadership could shift editorial tone in ways he views as politically aligned with Trump.
“[W]e may have a scenario in this country where a MAGA-friendly corporation, a Trumpy corporation, Oracle, will control both CBS News and CNN,” Acosta said, referencing Oracle’s founder Larry Ellison, a prominent Trump supporter and fundraiser. Paramount’s CEO is David Ellison, Larry Ellison’s son.
Acosta compared the prospect of consolidated ownership to media systems in countries with state-influenced press environments, asking whether Americans want a news landscape resembling Russia, Hungary, Turkey, China, or North Korea. He also criticized the idea of a merged CBS-CNN entity “pumping out propaganda” favorable to Trump.
In particular, Acosta speculated about the future role of CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings, suggesting Jennings could potentially be elevated within the network under new ownership. He questioned whether Jennings might anchor major programs such as “Anderson Cooper 360,” currently hosted by Anderson Cooper.
Acosta also referenced CBS News’ October appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief, raising concerns about editorial direction at the combined networks. He criticized what he described as increasingly favorable coverage of Trump in certain media spaces and argued that concentrated ownership could amplify that trend.
CNN senior media analyst Brian Stelter reported Friday that employees at the network have “real concerns” about potential changes following Paramount’s successful bid.
Neither Paramount nor Warner Bros. Discovery has publicly detailed how a completed acquisition would affect newsroom operations, editorial leadership, or programming decisions. The proposed deal is expected to face regulatory review before any finalization.
The debate highlights broader tensions over media consolidation, political influence, and the evolving landscape of American journalism as major corporations compete for control of legacy news brands.
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Well Jimbo, does the idea that the Left might lose its complete dominance of mainstream news media bother you? It would be a shame if non leftist bias was made available to the public, wouldn’t it?