Trump allies set to gain control of CBS and CNN
CBS and CNN are due to come under the control of people described by NPR as allies of Donald Trump, raising concerns among journalists about possible political pressure on the networks’ reporting. The development affects two major US television news organisations, although the supplied material gives no further details about the ownership arrangements.
Two major US television news organisations, CBS and CNN, are set to be controlled by people with close ties to Donald Trump, according to NPR US. The change has prompted concern among some journalists, who fear that the networks could face pressure over their coverage. NPR described the prospective owners as Trump allies, but the supplied material does not identify them or explain the precise structure of the transactions.
CBS and CNN are both prominent broadcasters, and the change would place the two outlets under the influence of people associated with the US president. The material does not say when control will formally change or whether the networks’ editorial operations will be altered. The concerns reported by NPR focus on the potential effect of ownership on journalism.
Journalists are worried that political relationships could affect decisions about what the networks cover and how they cover it. No response from the prospective owners, CBS or CNN is included in the supplied material. It also does not provide details of any planned leadership changes, editorial policies or staffing decisions.
The development therefore leaves open how the new ownership will affect the two outlets in practice. For now, the reported issue is the combination of major television news organisations and owners closely connected to Trump, alongside fears about pressure on their reporting.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.