US media is increasingly falling under the control of Trump's allies, with far-reaching consequences for democracy. The latest acquisition by Larry Ellison's Skydance Media has given him control over CBS News, one of the US's "big three" networks. Ellison, a billionaire and longtime supporter of Israel, has become chair and CEO of Paramount Global, which now owns CBS News.
The appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief has further cemented the network's right-wing leanings, sparking concerns about the erosion of journalistic standards. The installation of a Trump appointee as ombudsman to monitor "bias" is also seen as an attempt to silence opposing viewpoints.
Ellison's acquisition of TikTok's US operations, alongside investors including Rupert Murdoch and Abu Dhabi's government-owned investment company, raises concerns about the spread of anti-Israel propaganda on social media. The Oracle co-founder has a history of supporting Israel and has donated millions to its military through non-profit organizations.
Trump officials are now briefing that they want Paramount Skydance to take over Warner Bros Discovery, the parent company of HBO and CNN. This would give Trump allies control over two of the US's main news outlets, allowing them to shape the narrative on key issues.
The erosion of media freedom is just one aspect of a broader attack on democracy in the US. The administration has deployed the national guard to Democratic strongholds, centralised control over elections, and launched new gerrymandering offensives. Republican politicians are also launching attacks on socialists and left-wing candidates, including New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
The appointment of Steve Bannon as a key advisor suggests that Trump's team is planning to circumvent the constitution and allow his former boss to take a third term. Such moves have significant implications for US democracy, which has long been plagued by issues of wealth inequality and electoral manipulation.
As Owen Jones warns, "US media are falling to Trump's allies" – but it's not just the media that's at risk. Democracy itself is under attack, with far-reaching consequences for American society and the world beyond.
The appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief has further cemented the network's right-wing leanings, sparking concerns about the erosion of journalistic standards. The installation of a Trump appointee as ombudsman to monitor "bias" is also seen as an attempt to silence opposing viewpoints.
Ellison's acquisition of TikTok's US operations, alongside investors including Rupert Murdoch and Abu Dhabi's government-owned investment company, raises concerns about the spread of anti-Israel propaganda on social media. The Oracle co-founder has a history of supporting Israel and has donated millions to its military through non-profit organizations.
Trump officials are now briefing that they want Paramount Skydance to take over Warner Bros Discovery, the parent company of HBO and CNN. This would give Trump allies control over two of the US's main news outlets, allowing them to shape the narrative on key issues.
The erosion of media freedom is just one aspect of a broader attack on democracy in the US. The administration has deployed the national guard to Democratic strongholds, centralised control over elections, and launched new gerrymandering offensives. Republican politicians are also launching attacks on socialists and left-wing candidates, including New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
The appointment of Steve Bannon as a key advisor suggests that Trump's team is planning to circumvent the constitution and allow his former boss to take a third term. Such moves have significant implications for US democracy, which has long been plagued by issues of wealth inequality and electoral manipulation.
As Owen Jones warns, "US media are falling to Trump's allies" – but it's not just the media that's at risk. Democracy itself is under attack, with far-reaching consequences for American society and the world beyond.
think about what could happen if trumps people own like 90% of the major news outlets in usa its like they're trying to shape reality to suit their agenda and we gotta be careful 'cause if they can do it to media how long before they try it with elections and stuff? its like they want to create this alternate world where everything is controlled by one side... cant let that happen in democracy
first of all, larry ellison taking over CBS news and making bari weiss editor-in-chief is just plain weird 
how can one guy have so much influence over the media? and now they're trying to silence opposing views by saying it's biased? what a joke 
this is like, we're already living in a dystopian novel where corporations are more powerful than gov and the media 
centralized control over elections? gerrymandering? it's like they're all in cahoots or something 
i'm seriously worried about what's gonna happen to us as a country and the world 
. The fact that Larry Ellison is controlling CBS News through his new acquisition of Paramount Global is just another example of how media outlets are becoming increasingly biased towards the right 
. It's not just about journalism standards; it's about democracy itself being under attack 
. The fact that they're trying to silence opposing viewpoints by installing a Trump appointee as ombudsman is just plain scary 
. We need to be vigilant and speak out against this kind of censorship, or we risk losing the very thing that makes our country great: free speech 
.
. i remember when journalism was about telling the truth and holding power to account, now it seems like they're more worried about the narrative than the facts 
First it was News Corp, now Skydance Media and TikTok's US ops are under their control too... what's next? 
I mean, I'm all for free speech, but when you start silencing opposing viewpoints just to fit a certain narrative... it doesn't feel right. And don't even get me started on the Israel thing 
... like, can we please not politicize everything? 
. I know some people are worried about media freedom, but for me, it's more than that - it's democracy itself. 
. I feel like our society is at risk if we can't even trust the news we're getting or the system we have in place. We need to stay vigilant and make sure we're holding our leaders accountable for their actions 
I'm so worried about what's happening to US democracy. It feels like they're taking away our freedom of speech and manipulating news to suit their own agenda. 
what can we do to stop this?? should we be supporting companies like skydance media that are selling out our democracy? let me know what you guys think! 
and suddenly they're right-wing leaning? Give me a break! It's all about manipulating the narrative to suit their agenda.
. We need to wake up and realize that our democracy is under threat from within. This isn't just about the media; it's about the erosion of our civil liberties and the very fabric of our society 
but seriously tho, it's not just about bias, it's about democracy 
and trumps allies are getting more power every day