‘No One is Happy’: CNN Staffers Reportedly ‘Devastated’ by WBD-Paramount Deal

(AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

According to a Variety article published on Friday, CNN staffers are reportedly “devastated” after a major corporate shakeup that could reshape the network’s future, with one source emphasizing that “no one is happy” about Warner Bros. Discovery’s Thursday decision to abandon a potential deal with Netflix in favor of a new arrangement with Paramount Skydance.

Employees are “devastated” by news of the Paramount deal, one person familiar with the network said to Variety, while another added bluntly, “No one is happy.” The report describes “palpable dread” among staffers who fear the merger could jeopardize CNN’s editorial independence.

On Thursday, the WBD board determined that Paramount’s $111 billion offer was the “superior” deal for Warner properties, with Netflix finally declining to match their latest offer. “At the price required to match Paramount Skydance’s latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive,” said Netflix co-CEO’s Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters in a statement.

CNN staffers’ anxieties, Variety explains, stem in part from Paramount’s recent stewardship of CBS News, which has faced internal turmoil and declining ratings. Paramount’s early moves — including installing former opinion journalist Bari Weiss in a top editorial role — have sparked complaints from staffers concerned about perceived ideological direction and newsroom interference.

One analyst, New Street Research’s Blair Levin, warned Variety that talent may soon see Paramount as “the entity most willing to adjust its news and entertainment offerings to curry favor with Trump,” a dynamic that allegedly worries CNN employees as the company is already seeing a steady loss in viewership.

CNN CEO Mark Thompson attempted to reassure staff in a memo urging patience: “Despite all the speculation you’ve read during this process, I’d suggest that you don’t jump to conclusions about the future until we know more… Let’s continue to focus on delivering the best possible journalism to the millions of people who rely on us all around the world.”

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