#newsroom-independence

#newsroom-independence

Donald Trump wants CNN sold. He has said so repeatedly and publicly, demanding it should be sold in any deal involving Warner Bros Discovery. Now one of America's largest media companies is racing to oblige him, while another looks to consolidate its power. Wednesday's House judiciary hearing on streaming competition where lawmakers voiced concern over the Trump administration's influence and a potential merger's toll on consumers made clear just how dangerous both options are for free speech, audiences and democracy itself.

The arrangement works like this: Major corporations contribute undisclosed sums to the Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit handling fundraising for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom annex. In return, donors reportedly receive White House dinner invitations and potential name inscriptions inside the building, tangible symbols of access to an administration their news divisions scrutinize daily. This isn't merely optics. It's a structural conflict that undermines the premise of independent journalism.