CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour has voiced concerns about the impending merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery, the parent company of CNN. Speaking at the Truth Tellers summit honoring the late journalism pioneer Sir Harry Evans, Amanpour expressed worry over the potential impact on CNN's editorial independence.
Amanpour's Remarks on CBS and 60 Minutes
Amanpour noted the changes at CBS News since it came under Skydance's control last summer. She highlighted reports of major changes coming to the Sunday show 60 Minutes, describing the network as 'hemorrhaging viewers, probably hemorrhaging money.' She criticized the 'ideological realignment of CBS' and the potential destruction of 60 Minutes, calling it a 'brilliant television magazine show' that has been top-rated and a top money-maker for decades.
'Clearly, I'm concerned,' Amanpour said. 'I would like to think that we would have the very basic, which is editorial independence. I'm hoping for that. I know many of us at CNN are incredibly – including leadership – very, very committed to that, clearly. And I don't think I need to say more than that.'
Corporate Meddling Concerns
Last week, longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi decried 'the spread of corporate meddling and editorial fear' at CBS News. Employees at both CBS and CNN have privately expressed concerns about a potential combination of the two networks, which emerged when Paramount Skydance became the likely winning bidder for Warner Bros Discovery in late February.
Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison has not laid out a specific strategy for CNN beyond targeting viewers not tightly wedded to one political party. He has publicly stated he values editorial independence. However, Ellison's father, tech billionaire Larry Ellison, reportedly spoke with a White House official about making changes at CNN, including potentially axing hosts disliked by former President Donald Trump.
Amanpour on Press Freedom
Seemingly referencing the Trump administration, Amanpour said leaders in the West think journalists should 'simply be sycophants and megaphones and bolster them, and they do not like when we actually report the truth.' She added, 'The President is accountable to the people through us. That's our job, the fourth estate. Period. End of story.'
During the same discussion, Wall Street Journal editor Emma Tucker talked about the rise of pre-publication lawsuits meant to chill journalism. 'Increasingly it is the case that before you even get to publication, lawsuits come raining down on you – a whole torrent of legal letters come your way,' she said.
A spokesperson for Paramount Skydance declined to comment on Amanpour's remarks.
