CNN on Edge as Paramount Moves In

Adriana Stone 0 1 min read

CNN on Edge as Paramount Moves In

People inside CNN are jittery. A new owner is coming. And that owner, Paramount’s leadership, is seen as less friendly to the network’s old habits.

That’s the simple version. The messy version is louder. Lots of staff worry their daily anti-Trump tilt will be checked. They’re bracing for edits. For firings. For a different newsroom culture.

Enter Brian Stelter. He went on the air with Wolf Blitzer to offer a defense. It didn’t land for many viewers. It sounded like wishful thinking to critics.

Here’s what Stelter said on air:

STELTER: Now, more broadly, CNN employees and viewers have real concern about whether Paramount CEO David Ellison will uphold the editorial independence that CNN is known for. There has been severe political turbulence in recent months, and President Trump has long sought to weaken CNN. Last December, Trump said, quote, it’s imperative that CNN be sold, and now that is what’s happening.

But I can tell you, Ellison has talked in recent months about how he wants to sustain the news business in the United States. And he has talked about his belief that, quote, “the majority of the country longs for news that is balanced and is fact-based.” And, Wolf, that sure sounds a lot like CNN’s mission, a lot of similarities here.

Stelter argued editorial independence would be protected. Many on the right say that’s laughable. They point to years of coverage they view as openly hostile to conservatives and to President Donald Trump.

Supporters of the Paramount move see a chance to reset CNN. They want balance and facts, they say. They want accountability for a network they believe abandoned both. Critics of CNN are blunt: clean house. Start over. Make reporters answer for bias.

None of this is quiet. It’s public. It’s noisy. And it’s political. Media watchers will be watching who stays and who goes. They’ll watch the beat reporters, the prime-time voices, and the editorial line.

The ownership switch won’t be a slow change. It will be swift. Managers will set new priorities. Anchors and producers will feel it. The question now: will CNN change, or will it double down?

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