Staff members at CNN are feeling anxious about Paramount’s upcoming acquisition of their parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, and the anticipated layoffs that might follow CEO David Ellison’s $81 billion deal, expected to close soon.
On Monday, Paramount resolved an antitrust lawsuit with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, paving the way for a merged media powerhouse that will manage both CBS News and CNN, along with notable film studios and streaming platforms like HBO Max and Paramount+.
As one CNN employee expressed, “People are really uneasy. It’s quite tense, almost like reporting on a hurricane—you see the storm brewing and you know it’s heading your way, and you just have that feeling of dread.”
A television executive noted the “bloodbath coming, including at CNN,” suggesting that drastic cuts are on the horizon.
Paramount has projected at least $6 billion in potential cost savings from the merger, which might translate to thousands of job losses in the near future.
Within CNN, the staff feels largely uninformed, as senior management appears uncertain about who will lead the network after Ellison takes the reins.
One CNN worker remarked, “There’s been a total lack of information regarding what’s happening and who will be in charge.”
Mark Thompson, CNN’s head, is scheduled to hold a town hall about the merger soon, yet many are doubtful about receiving much useful insight into the future leadership until the deal is finalized.
Employees have been observing the changes at CBS News under Ellison’s management, particularly how news chief Bari Weiss has restructured the network.
“The situation at CBS is deepening the anxiety here… it’s not just the treatment of people or the editorial shifts—they’ve seen a huge drop in ratings. It feels disastrous,” said a CNN insider.
This person added, “Looking at those numbers, it’s hard to argue that it’s working. Now they want to try something similar on a larger scale? It’s baffling.”
Concerns were also raised about Weiss’s approach, which some believe negatively impacted CBS News’ top-rated program, “60 Minutes,” following her dismissal of Scott Pelley and other key figures.
Despite observers noting that such changes have not resulted in improved viewer numbers, some still defend Weiss by saying she’s working towards a more balanced news landscape at CBS.
Under the terms of a deal with Bonta and other attorneys general, Ellison has committed to establishing an independent editorial board for both CBS News and CNN, among other measures aimed at alleviating antitrust concerns.
However, CNN insiders dismissed the idea of an editorial board as impractical and ineffective, noting, “History has shown that these attempts aren’t enforceable.”
Within CNN, many hope Thompson can maintain control without any oversight from Weiss.
As one insider shared, “He is very much interested in being the one to lead editorial decisions. He doesn’t want someone else dictating what he should do.”
Additional frustrations include concerns over foreign investments, given that the merged Paramount-WBD entity will have a foreign equity ownership of nearly 50%.
Last week, the Federal Communications Commission approved Paramount’s request regarding this ownership stake, clarifying that the foreign investors—namely from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi—will not possess voting rights.
Sources within CNN expressed their worries that these foreign interests might influence the network’s international reporting.
There’s also unease among CBS News employees about how the merger could affect their roles and the editorial direction of CNN.
“I feel pretty defeated and defeated,” lamented one CBS employee. “The damage David and Bari have inflicted on CBS News has been devastating. If Ellison brings even a fraction of that impact to CNN, it’s going to be dire. It’s disheartening for the news industry and for America at large.”
Neither CBS, CNN, nor Paramount offered any comments in response.
