Key facts
- David Ellison will control CNN and CBS News after the Paramount Skydance takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.
- An editorial independence board will be established for CNN and CBS News as part of a settlement.
- The board will comprise five veteran journalists to set editorial principles.
- Experts and former staff express skepticism about the board's effectiveness and investigative powers.
- California Attorney General Rob Bonta views the board as a meaningful protection for journalistic integrity.
- The settlement includes an independent monitoring trustee for film production and cable licensing, but not news operations.
David Ellison is poised to exert significant influence over the US news media landscape as his Paramount Skydance entity prepares to complete its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN. As part of a settlement with a coalition of 12 US states and a Hollywood writers' union, Ellison has agreed to establish an editorial independence board for CNN and CBS News.
The board, to be composed of five veteran journalists, is intended to "establish guiding editorial and journalism principles for the combined entity's news channels." However, experts and some current and former CNN staff have voiced strong skepticism regarding its efficacy.
Critics, including retired journalist Dan Gillmor, argue that genuine editorial independence stems from editors and owners' commitment, not appointed boards. Gillmor stated the board would be "toothless," noting that its members are appointed and paid by the combined entity, and it lacks explicit investigative oversight or binding decision-making power, leaving final authority with Ellison.
Prominent journalist Kara Swisher dismissed the board as a "fig leaf" and expressed dissatisfaction with Ellison's media ownership record so far. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, however, described the board as a "meaningful way to protect the integrity of CNN and CBS."
The settlement also includes an independent monitoring trustee for film production and cable licensing, but this trustee will have no authority over news operations, a point highlighted by media law professor Jonathan Peters as a "remarkable carveout" contributing to a "significant enforcement gap" regarding editorial independence.
Concerns are further fueled by past criticisms of Ellison for allegedly tailoring news coverage at CBS News to favor President Donald Trump, raising fears about how CNN's coverage might be managed. The settlement also lacks a provision requiring the board's findings to be made public.
The idea of an independent oversight board is not unprecedented. When Rupert Murdoch acquired The Wall Street Journal in 2007, News Corp agreed to a similar committee. However, former Wall Street Journal deputy managing editor Bill Grueskin noted that this board was ultimately disregarded when Murdoch wished to install his preferred editor, suggesting that owners ultimately control editorial direction. Grueskin sees little difference in Ellison's concessions, stating, "The owner calls the shots."