Several people VF talked to said another issue is that the attorneys general have created a mechanism that could invite future government interferenc
Several people VF talked to said another issue is that the attorneys general have created a mechanism that could invite future government interference in journalism. The AGs who brought the suit against Skydance were particularly worried that CNN could follow CBS News down a more conservative path. After taking control of CBS, Ellison installed Weiss, the former New York Times opinion journalist and founder of The Free Press, to shake things up. And she certainly has, drawing criticism for her editorial interventions and raising concerns that her politics are shaping the network’s journalism. But still, several industry insiders don’t believe those concerns justify government intervention.
“The answer to Trump meddling in the news is not for attorneys general to meddle in the news,” Stern says. “It’s for the government to stay out of the news altogether.”
Even Connecticut attorney general William Tong wasn’t particularly ecstatic with the settlement and he was one of the architects of the antitrust lawsuit against Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. He tells Vanity Fair that the oversight board was a compromise, and not one he’s eager to celebrate. He also says he wasn’t pleased with the partisan-balance requirement.
“What I wanted to see was a full divestiture of both CNN and CBS News,” Tong says. “I wanted to see them both spun out, and I wanted to see them stand alone. What we ended up with was less than that.”
Tofel suggests that Skydance should renegotiate the provision with the attorneys general, replacing it with a commitment to diversity of viewpoints and professional experience.
And for what it’s worth, Tong says he plans to scrutinize the appointments and keep an eye on whether the company respects the panel’s independence. If Skydance fails to honor its obligations, he warned, the states can return to court.
