Christiane Amanpour, a seasoned journalist from CNN, expressed her apprehensions regarding billionaire media mogul David Ellison’s possible purchase of CNN through Paramount Skydance’s plan to take over Warner Bros. Discovery, the network’s parent company. She voiced her concerns during a panel at the Sir Henry Evans Investigative Journalism Summit in London, saying, “Obviously I’m concerned—I don’t know how much I can share about the companies involved—but I worry, both as a human and as a journalist.”
Amanpour highlighted the changes at CBS News that occurred under Ellison’s leadership as a warning signal for both CNN’s staff and its audience. “It’s unsettling, especially considering what happened at CBS News,” she noted. “I mean, should I really list out the issues there? Viewer losses, financial struggles, and a shift in ideology, which could lead to the end of programs like 60 Minutes.”
Having been with CNN since 1983, Amanpour is hopeful the deal could preserve the network’s editorial freedom. “I’d like to think we could maintain a fundamental principle: editorial independence. I really want that. It seems like many of us at CNN, including top management, are genuinely committed to it,” she remarked.
Ellison, who took the reins at CBS News last year, appointed Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief, aiming to broaden the station’s conservative angle. This change has created some internal strife, particularly around the controversial delay of a 60 Minutes segment regarding the Trump administration’s deportation of Venezuelan immigrants. CBS News correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi claimed the segment was intentionally held back for political reasons, while Weiss defended this by saying it lacked sufficient sources for airing.
Add to that President Trump’s previous criticisms of CNN, referring to Warner Bros. Discovery’s leadership as “dishonest” and suggesting the network should be sold off along with other corporate properties. Meanwhile, requests for comments from David Ellison have gone unanswered.
