Content Advisory: This article discusses allegations involving press freedom, political influence, corporate mergers, and possible editorial interference. Reader discretion is advised.
Larry Ellison is facing serious accusations from press freedom groups, and the fight now centers on CNN.
Two press freedom organizations are accusing the Oracle founder and Paramount Skydance power player of making behind-the-scenes promises to President Donald Trump in order to help secure regulatory approval for a proposed Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition.
The deal would bring CNN’s parent company under the same larger corporate orbit. That is where the concern begins.
Freedom of the Press Foundation and Reporters Without Borders, both shareholders in Paramount Skydance, sent a formal letter Thursday to the company’s chief legal officer. They are seeking access to internal communications and corporate records.
Their concern is blunt: did Paramount leadership offer Trump influence over CNN in exchange for merger approval?
Larry Ellison Accused Of Making CNN Promise To Trump
The shareholder letter claims there is “credible concern” that Paramount leadership may have “offered, solicited, or effectuated a corrupt exchange.”
The groups allege Ellison privately assured Trump that he would make CNN changes similar to those recently made at CBS News. Those changes allegedly included removing CNN anchors and commentators Trump has criticized.
Trump has repeatedly attacked CNN as “fake news,” making the allegation especially explosive.
The letter warns that any commitment to reshape editorial operations for political favor could breach fiduciary duties and potentially expose the company to civil or criminal penalties.
CBS News Changes Raise New Alarm
The accusation also points back to CBS News.
After the Trump administration approved the Ellison family’s Paramount acquisition last summer, David Ellison, Larry’s son, brought in Bari Weiss, founder of ‘The Free Press’, to oversee CBS News.
Under Weiss, the network went through major staffing and editorial changes.
According to the shareholder letter, Larry Ellison allegedly described those CBS changes as the model he would bring to CNN if the Warner Bros. Discovery merger is approved.
That claim has raised alarm among press advocates who already worry about major newsrooms falling under owners willing to adjust coverage to please political power.
Warner Bros. Discovery Deal Adds Pressure
Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders overwhelmingly approved the merger two weeks ago.
The deal would pay Warner stockholders $31 per share, about four times the stock’s value from a year ago. It would also be one of the largest Hollywood consolidations in nearly a decade.
Neither Paramount Skydance nor representatives for Larry Ellison immediately responded to requests for comment.
For press freedom groups, the issue is bigger than one merger. It is about whether major news outlets can remain editorially independent when billionaires, presidents, and regulatory approvals are all in the same room.
CNN has spent years as one of Trump’s favorite media targets. Now, these groups are asking whether its future could be shaped by a political bargain no viewer ever voted for.
