The Tug-of-War Over the Cable News Network Highlights The Extent to Which Broken American Journalism Now Is.

This past Thursday night, as rumors swirled regarding the Brown University gunman, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins used social media, noting the confusion and pointing viewers to her channel's 9pm newscast.

While it is by no means a impeccable news source, her statement seemed accurate for numerous observers. It is one of the broadcasters where you can find reality-based and mostly trustworthy reporting – especially during crises like the one taking place in the vicinity of a New Hampshire storage facility.

A Vulnerable Situation Amid a High-Stakes Struggle

Yet the news network, now four and a half decades old, finds itself in a vulnerable position as two giant media empires vie for ownership of its parent company, Warner Bros Discovery.

No matter the result, the fate of CNN has turned into a major game of corporate ownership, rather than as a question of what benefits the information-seeking public.

“Here is one more case of the fundamental flaws with roots in many years of policy decisions,” stated Victor Pickard, writer of “Democracy Without Journalism?” and a academic specializing in media policy at the Pennsylvania University.

The speculation about which company will control Warner Bros Discovery – will it be Netflix or Paramount Skydance? – misses a larger point.

“It is often framed as a business story with powerful individuals as the main characters, but there is very little discussion of the public interest,” Pickard said.

The Complicating Element: Donald Trump

The network's predicament is complicated by Donald Trump’s opinions about a network he has consistently labeled as perhaps his main “fake news” foe.

Think back to the chants of “CNN sucks!” at Trump's rallies, his administration’s punitive revocation of reporter Jim Acosta’s press credentials, or his sparring with Collins in White House briefings.

Trump now claims that CNN needs new ownership. This can be interpreted as ownership that will shield him from negative coverage and examination. That is part of why he seems to come down on the side of Paramount Skydance, which has made a aggressive takeover attempt.

There is a basis to like that company more. For one thing, it is run by David Ellison, son of the ally of Trump Larry Ellison, one of the world’s richest people.

The company, parent of CBS News, also recently installed the conservative Bari Weiss, famous for her “anti-woke” beliefs, as the editor-in-chief of that historic news network.

A Future of Continued Turmoil

Notably, if Netflix wins, CNN and other cable outlets would first be spun off into a standalone company. That would be a relief to many at the network, but it’s far from a safe harbor. That structure could pave the way for CNN for yet another acquisition. It never ends.

In the view of Timothy Wu, much of this is a violation of antitrust statutes, anyway. The influential voice of big tech’s dominance recently argued that competition laws should prohibit both deals.

“Both acquisition attempts would be harmful to the country, and both should be challenged by regulators,” Wu stated.

The Bigger Issue and a Way Ahead

Whatever happens with this particular battle, the underlying crisis remains.

“What we have now is a profoundly anti-democratic system, but we shouldn’t give in to the belief that change is impossible,” Pickard emphasized. Government actions – originating in the 1930s and 1940s – helped to foster this hyper-commercialized monster, and new policy decisions can tackle it.

Will that happen in an era where the Federal Communications Commission chair won’t even affirm that the agency is independent? Overhaul is highly improbable now, but that is not to say it will be impossible forever.

Initiatives that support independent news organizations, aid local journalism, fund public media, and prohibit the concentration of media power in very few hands are within reach – they are necessary for a robust democracy.

In the world of media ownership, size does not equal quality. And news organizations including CNN shouldn’t be tools in the most recent corporate chess match.