The tug-of-war over CNN shows how dysfunctional US media has become | Margaret Sullivan

"CNN is certainly not a flawless news source, but her words rang true to me. The network is one of the outlets where you can find reality-based and largely dependable reporting especially in breaking news situations like the one that was developing near a New Hampshire storage facility. But CNN, now 45 years old, is in a precarious situation as two huge media conglomerates vie for ownership of its parent company, Warner Bros Discovery."

"Whatever the outcome, the fate of CNN has become part of a high-stakes game of corporate ownership, not as a question of what benefits the information-seeking public. America's media system isn't set up for that lofty goal. It's set up for corporate profitability, for shareholder gain, for ever-increasing size and ever-decreasing competition. This is yet another example of the deep structural problems with roots in decades of policy decisions, said Victor Pickard, author of Democracy Without Journalism? and a University of Pennsylvania media policy professor."

Social media posts captured immediate confusion during a nearby shooting and directed audiences to established network coverage. CNN provides reality-based, largely dependable reporting in breaking-news situations. The network, now 45, faces a precarious future as Netflix and Paramount-Skydance compete to acquire its parent, Warner Bros Discovery. Corporate ownership contests prioritize profitability and size over the information needs of the public. America's media system rewards shareholder gain and reduced competition, reflecting deep structural problems rooted in decades of policy decisions. Political hostility toward CNN, including public attacks and credential disputes, further complicates the network's position.

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