Why the Paramount-Warner merger is a problem for democracy

The Paramount merger may make good business sense, but research shows putting more media power in fewer hands can come at a cost to the common good of citizens.

By: Seth Ashley, Colorado State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 13, 2026

Words: 1,314

Last Updated: 4 days, 17 hours ago

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By Seth Ashley, Colorado State University

Media critic Ben Bagdikian warned in 2004 that five corporations had accumulated “more communications power than was exercised by any despot or dictatorship in history.” More than 20 years later, a major media merger is bringing his warning back into focus.

Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery in October 2026 created a new company, Skydance Corporation. It now owns CNN and CBS News, Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures, …

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