CNN anchor Jake Tapper delivered an unusually blunt message to viewers Thursday, acknowledging that the future of CNN could soon be shaped by a looming corporate takeover.
“We have some breaking news in our national lead that affects everybody I’m looking at right now in the studio,” Tapper said on air, turning to glance around the newsroom. He explained that Netflix had declined to raise its bid to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company, after the board determined that a competing offer from Paramount was superior.
According to Tapper, Paramount is not just pursuing Warner Bros. Studios and HBO but “the whole enchilada,” including CNN itself. Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed Thursday that Paramount’s bid to acquire all of its assets had overtaken Netflix’s proposal, prompting Netflix to walk away.
If the deal goes through, CNN would fall under the control of Paramount CEO David Ellison, a figure who has drawn attention for his close relationship with Donald Trump and for shaking up newsroom culture elsewhere. Ellison previously angered progressives by installing Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News.
Inside CNN, the reaction to the potential merger has been described as grim. Sources said the mood in the newsroom was “horrific” as leadership tried to reassure anxious employees. Staffers fear that the merger could bring layoffs and editorial changes, especially given CBS News’ recent experience under Ellison’s leadership.
Since taking over at CBS News, Weiss has openly criticized the network’s output, telling employees they were “not producing a product that enough people want.” She has also moved to curb what she described as an entrenched liberal slant, signaling a broader shift in tone and priorities.
For CNN journalists, those changes loom as a warning sign of what could be coming. With Paramount now positioned as the leading bidder, Tapper’s candid on-air remarks underscored the reality facing his network: corporate decisions made far from the studio floor may soon determine not just ownership, but the direction of CNN’s journalism itself.
