Stop the Paramount-Warner merger

- The Latest
  Regular reporting on government secrecy, surveillance, and the rights of reporters and whistleblowers.
  - The Classifieds
  - News Releases
- Technology
  Working open source software products to protect journalists, newsrooms, and their sources.
  - SecureDrop
  - Dangerzone
- U.S. Press Freedom Tracker
  A database of press freedom incidents in the United States.
  - Data Visualizations
  - Explore the Database
- Digital Security Education
  Digital security trainings and resources for journalists.
  - Request a Training
  - Guides & Resources
- About Us
  Protecting and defending press freedom when we need it the most.
- Our Team
  - Staff & Contributors
  - Board of Directors
- Transparency
  - Reports & Financials
  - Announcements
- Get in Touch
  - Jobs & Internships
  - Contact Us
Take action
Donate

Paramount Skydance chairman and CEO David Ellison arrives before President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Feb. 24, 2026

AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

The takeover would be disastrous for press freedom.

Paramount CEO David Ellison has shown at CBS that he’s willing to censor journalists for the Trump administration. Just look what’s happened at “60 Minutes.” Now he wants Warner Bros.’ holdings, like CNN and HBO, and has promised President Trump “sweeping changes” to appease him.

CBS is already in crisis — journalistically and economically. Let’s not let Ellison tank more media outlets to curry favor with Trump.

Tell Congress to investigate Paramount’s crooked mergers

First Name * Last Name
Email Address *
Street Address * Zip Code * Enter a five digit US ZIP code

Edit this message so that it is unique to you: Dear Member of Congress: I am writing to urge you to investigate the Trump administration’s repeated extraction of bribes and editorial concessions from Paramount and its CEO, David Ellison. Ellison’s acquisition of CBS’ parent company last year was enabled by a $16 million bribe to Donald Trump, laundered as a settlement of a frivolous lawsuit. Trump’s Federal Communications Commission approved the merger two days after Trump announced that he’d received the payment. The FCC also extracted commitments from Ellison to install a “bias ombudsman” and alter news content to the administration’s liking. Ellison eventually hired Kenneth Weinstein, a career partisan and Trump ally lacking journalistic experience, for the ombudsman role, because to the Trump administration, “bias” means any coverage critical of its misconduct and incompetence. Ellison also hired Trump-aligned opinion writer Bari Weiss to run CBS News, despite her lack of journalistic experience. She has reportedly censored or attempted to censor multiple stories, all of which were critical of Trump or inconsistent with his preferred narratives. Most recently, she eviscerated “60 Minutes,” firing highly respected correspondents and producers, and bringing in Nick Bilton, another broadcast news novice, to run the show. Just-fired correspondent Scott Pelley said in a recent interview that the pressure to appease Trump is like nothing he’s encountered in his decades-long journalistic career. Now, Ellison wants to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN and HBO, and repeat the same playbook. The Wall Street Journal reported that Ellison promised Trump “sweeping changes” at CNN — including firing journalists Trump doesn’t like — if the administration approves the merger. While Trump insults CBS and CNN journalists and baselessly threatens criminal investigations of CNN, Ellison and his father, Larry, throw dinner parties for Trump — and have the nerve to say they’re celebrating the First Amendment. News outlets have a right to report whatever views they want, including Trump-friendly ones. But Trump does not have the right to abuse the powers of his office to coerce the press into debasing its coverage. Trump cannot be allowed to accomplish the kind of censorship the First Amendment forbids him from implementing by law by instead making backdoor deals with his billionaire buddies. The American public deserves a full accounting of the deals Trump’s administration has made with Ellison to censor the news in exchange for merger approval. Any wrongdoing — criminal or otherwise — should be thoroughly investigated and those responsible should be held accountable. Please use all powers available to you to investigate these bribes and quid pro quo arrangements, both now and when the next Congress is seated. URLs are not allowed in this message.

* Required. We will not share your information with third parties. Learn more

Something went wrong processing this request. Please try again later.

Opt in to email updates from Freedom of the Press Foundation

Something went wrong and your email updates subscription could not be processed. Please visit our signup page and try again.

Thank you for urging your representatives to investigate Paramount’s crooked mergers and the Ellisons’ backdoor dealings with Trump.

Donate

Share this message on social media: https://freedom.press/action/tell-congress-to-investigate-paramounts-crooked-mergers/
Join me in urging your representatives to investigate Paramount’s crooked mergers and the Ellisons’ backdoor deals with Trump to censor the press:

Featured Items

NJ police to journalists: Papers please
Protests•Newsletter
Plus: Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence is stunningly unqualified, and a veteran ‘60 Minutes’ journalist sounds the alarm on censorship at CBS

Published June 5, 2026 Freedom of the Press Foundation
Journalists stand up for their independence
Trump•Newsletter
Plus: Failed Don Lemon and Georgia Fort warrants expose attack on press

Published May 29, 2026 Freedom of the Press Foundation
Judge angled for federal gig while hearing Trump’s Pulitzer suit
Trump•Newsletter
Plus: Press groups rally behind ABC as FCC targets ‘The View’

Published May 22, 2026 Freedom of the Press Foundation
A lesson on media consolidation and censorship from a Texas prison
Incarcerated Journalists•Article
How Trump steering CNN and HBO to his allies can drastically alter the public discourse

Published April 22, 2026 Jeremy Busby
Republicans are suddenly OK with Qatari investment in U.S. news?
Merger•Article
Hypocrisy reveals that foreign ownership concerns were never about national security

Published April 9, 2026 Seth Stern
Brendan Carr’s localism hoax
Trump•Newsletter
Plus: NPR, PBS ruling explains why all Trump censorship is illegal

Published April 3, 2026 Freedom of the Press Foundation
Government can’t circumvent the Constitution to censor critics indirectly
Media Funding•News Release
Administration’s campaign to reshape media violates long-held principle that where it can’t censor directly, it also can’t condition benefits on censorship

Published March 31, 2026 Freedom of the Press Foundation
Ed Martin probe isn’t enough. Attorney discipline boards must step up
Trump•Article
State bars must investigate Trump lawyers’ attacks on First Amendment

Published March 13, 2026 Seth Stern
Censorship is bad for business
Oligarchs•Newsletter
Plus, order restricting Natanson search didn’t go far enough

Published Feb. 27, 2026 Freedom of the Press Foundation
More news holdings for Paramount harms press and bottom line
Oligarchs•News Release
Let’s not stand by as Trump administration unconstitutionally extracts content-based concessions from news companies

Published Feb. 26, 2026 Freedom of the Press Foundation