Keeping it neutral
David Ellison, the CEO of the newly formed media conglomerate Skydance, is setting the record straight. After finalizing the massive merger between Paramount Skydance and CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, he’s facing side-eyes about whether his friendship with the Trump administration will sway the company's editorial stance.
Real talk: Ellison has spent the last 20 months building rapport with the White House. But during a Tuesday press briefing, he insisted that a "good relationship" with the current administration doesn't mean he's playing favorites. He pointed out that he’s also cool with President Biden, Republican Senator Tim Scott, and Governor Gavin Newsom. "We want to speak to everybody," Ellison said. "We do not want to politicize the company."
The CNN connection
Since CNN has been a major target for Donald Trump, everyone is lowkey stressed about whether the network will lean right. Ellison didn't spill the tea on his private convos with the president, but he did promise that CNN and CBS News would remain "completely editorially independent." He’s staying in the "truth and trust business," or so he says.
He also confirmed that CNN chief executive Mark Thompson and CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss are keeping their jobs. "We’re thrilled, obviously, with Mark," he said. "We’re thrilled with Bari."
As for the rumor mill about cutting costs or merging the two newsrooms, Ellison said his team needs a few months to look "under the hood." He claimed that most of the $6 billion in expected savings won't come from firing people, which is a W for the staff.
Why it matters
When a media mogul buys up major news networks like CNN and CBS, the industry gets nervous about bias. Ellison is trying to prove he can play the DC game without letting politicians dictate what hits the airwaves, but the vibes are still tense as the industry waits to see if those promises hold up.
