NEWSDavid Ellison Vows to Keep CNN Centered 'Straight Down the Middle' If $110 Billion Acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery Is Finalized
Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison vowed to keep CNN ‘straight down the middle’ if his company's WBD acquisition is finalized.
Aug. 4 2026, Published 5:29 p.m. ET
In a New York Times op-ed published Tuesday, August 4, Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison declared his intention to keep CNN independent and centered "straight down the middle" if his company's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is finalized.
Ellison broke his silence on the intense antitrust scrutiny surrounding the proposed merger, which has been challenged in lawsuits filed by a coalition of 12 state attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America. A court order has delayed the deal until June 1, 2027, or five days after a ruling on the merits of the case, whichever comes first.
Ellison argued that the antitrust fight is not actually about market share, but rather a deeper political anxiety over "whether I can be trusted as a steward of Warner's CNN."
He also addressed speculation surrounding his personal politics and his father Larry Ellison's ties to President Donald Trump, saying he has voted for candidates from both parties and would not "bend their newsrooms to my views."
'News Should Be Based on Facts and Truth'
Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison insisted his personal politics will not dictate CNN's newsroom.
“There has been speculation about my politics, my loyalties, my intentions,” Ellison said. “Unfortunately, I can’t give anyone a view into my heart and mind, but I can share this: I have regularly voted for candidates of both parties; I hold some views that would be called conservative and others that would be called liberal, just like most Americans; and when it comes to our news operations, I do not aspire to lead these companies to bend their newsrooms to my views. I believe that news should be based on facts and truth.”
Ellison emphasized that CNN and CBS News must remain grounded in facts and independent of political parties or causes, with their journalists accountable to the public.
In separate comments on CNBC, Ellison said his business strategy is to appeal to the roughly 70% of Americans who identify with the center-left and center-right in an effort to rebuild trust in the media.
“Great news organizations like CNN and CBS News are here to tell it straight down the middle. That requires newsrooms that reflect the whole world, not one side of it. And it requires independence. Our journalists will continue to answer to the facts and to all the people they serve — not to any party or cause,” he said.
David Ellison's CBS News Overhaul Has CNN Staffers Bracing for What's Next
David Ellison's CBS News shake-up sparked concerns over how he could reshape CNN if the merger is completed.
Acknowledging that trust in the media is at an all-time low, Ellison promised to continue investing in real journalism for the long term.
Despite Ellison's public assurances, critics and network insiders remain wary.
After acquiring CBS News as part of Paramount, Ellison faced immediate backlash over his decision to appoint podcaster Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief, along with a series of high-profile newsroom firings.
Some CNN staffers have pointed to Ellison's swift and disruptive changes at CBS News as a possible indication of what could await their own network if the WBD acquisition is completed.
Ellison also acquired Weiss' contrarian digital media outlet, The Free Press, for an estimated $150 million and installed her as CBS News' top editorial executive with a mandate to "shake things up."
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Reports of Bari Weiss' Potential CNN Role Fuel Panic Inside Network
Reports that Bari Weiss could oversee CNN have fueled fresh anxiety among network employees.
Ellison is reportedly weighing whether to give Weiss oversight of CNN as well.
Weiss' management at CBS News has reportedly led to what insiders described as a "dumpster fire" at the network's flagship program. Longtime 60 Minutes anchor Scott Pelley and two other top correspondents were fired amid claims that newsroom leadership was steering coverage to heavily favor the Trump administration and Israel.
High-profile contributors, including tech journalist Kara Swisher, have already threatened to cut ties with CNN if the takeover goes through.
CNN insiders have described the internal mood as “horrific,” citing widespread panic, anxiety and dread as employees face uncertainty over the network's future.
Although antitrust delays have pushed the final merger review into June 2027, one insider told Fox News Digital that staffers believe the Paramount takeover is "inevitable," a sentiment that has reportedly further deflated morale.
CNN Staffers Push Back
CNN journalists are reportedly pushing back as uncertainty grows over the network's future leadership.
Staffers are reportedly highly anxious over claims that David and his father, Larry Ellison, have had direct conversations with Trump about CNN's future, including discussions about potentially removing anchors who have drawn the president's ire, such as Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar.
Some on-air journalists are already pushing back. CNN's chief legal affairs correspondent, Paula Reid, reportedly declined a lucrative contract renewal and left for MS NOW after CNN management was unable to provide basic reassurances about the network's future leadership under Ellison.
Veteran anchor Christiane Amanpour has also publicly voiced her "concern" over what she described as an "ideological realignment" among her colleagues.
