{"id":311660,"date":"2025-12-11T15:56:55","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T20:56:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?prc_email_campaign=status-of-cnn-in-limbo-as-netflix-and-paramount-both-bid-to-take-over-wbd"},"modified":"2026-06-08T12:15:50","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T16:15:50","slug":"status-of-cnn-in-limbo-as-netflix-and-paramount-both-bid-to-take-over-wbd","status":"publish","type":"prc_email_campaign","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/newsletter\/the-briefing\/status-of-cnn-in-limbo-as-netflix-and-paramount-both-bid-to-take-over-wbd\/","title":{"rendered":"Status of CNN in limbo as Netflix and Paramount both bid to take over WBD"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2600\ufe0f Happy Thursday!<\/strong>\u00a0<em>The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information<\/em>.<em> <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/sign-up-for-the-briefing\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/sign-up-for-the-briefing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Sign up here!<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>In today<em>\u2019<\/em>s email:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li><strong>Featured story:<\/strong> Status of CNN in limbo as Netflix and Paramount both bid to take over Warner Bros. Discovery<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>In other news:<\/strong> Meta announces AI deals with several news organizations<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Looking ahead:<\/strong> Australia bans social media for users under 16<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Director&#8217;s note:<\/strong> The great media divide<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udd25\u00a0<strong>Featured story<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After\u00a0<strong>Warner Bros. Discovery<\/strong>\u00a0struck a deal last week to sell its studio and streaming services to\u00a0<strong>Netflix, Paramount Skydance<\/strong>\u00a0responded by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/paramount-warner-bros-discovery-netflix-trump-347540ae7a4f83fced833fe882f25680\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">launching a hostile takeover bid<\/a>. But there is a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/cnn-warner-bros-paramount-netflix-ellison-14124eaeaadd13d31323ea3fb5312793\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">key difference between the two potential transactions<\/a>: While the Netflix deal would not include\u00a0<strong>CNN\u00a0<\/strong>and other cable networks, Paramount is seeking to acquire WBD\u2019s cable properties.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Government approval is also a wild card in the process, and\u00a0<strong>President Donald Trump<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/12\/10\/media\/trump-cnn-sold-paramount-warner-bros-netflix\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said this week<\/a>\u00a0that it is \u201cimperative that CNN be sold.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CNN is one of the most common news sources for Americans:\u00a0A third of U.S. adults regularly get news there, according to a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/feature\/news-media-tracker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">March 2025 survey<\/a>. But there are stark partisan differences when it comes to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/feature\/news-media-tracker\/cnn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">whether people both use and trust CNN<\/a>. Nearly half of Democrats say they regularly get news from CNN (48%), compared with 20% of Republicans and GOP leaners.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udccc\u00a0<strong>In other news<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li><strong>Meta <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2025\/12\/05\/meta-ai-deals-news-publishers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announces AI deals<\/a> with several news organizations\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>EU <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/12\/05\/technology\/eu-elon-musk-x-140-million-fine.html?partner=slack&amp;smid=sl-share\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fines X $140 million<\/a>, citing the platform\u2019s \u201cdeceptive design\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Trump admininstration<\/strong> proposes plan to require tourists from 42 countries to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/us-tourists-social-media-history-5-years-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">submit five years of social media history<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Journalists in <strong>Israel <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/cpj.org\/2025\/12\/under-the-radar-israel-steps-up-censorship-and-suppression-of-independent-reporting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">report media censorship and suppression<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/technology\/interactive\/2025\/tiktok-algorithm-video-map-interests\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Washington Post analysis<\/a> explores <strong>TikTok\u2019s algorithm<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/tech\/tech-news\/ai-chatbots-used-inaccurate-information-change-political-opinions-stud-rcna247085\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New research<\/a> analyzes <strong>AI chatbots\u2019 ability to persuade<\/strong> and share misleading information\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Utah judge<\/strong> will <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/charlie-kirk-assassination-tyler-robinson-media-e90d404b03383dec9e0d9a327b491920\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">determine media\u2019s access to details<\/a> of <strong>Charlie Kirk<\/strong> murder case\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Public Media Bridge Fund<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/current.org\/2025\/12\/public-media-bridge-fund-announces-initial-round-of-grants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announces recipients<\/a> of first round of grants totaling $26 million\u00a0<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udcc5\u00a0<strong>Looking ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An\u00a0<strong>Australian\u00a0law\u00a0restricting social media access for users under the age of 16<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/12\/09\/world\/asia\/australia-social-media-ban-under-16.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">took effect<\/a>\u00a0earlier this week. The law, which requires social media companies to identify and deactivate accounts owned by young users, is part of a larger effort by the Australian government to protect young people from the potential harms of social media use.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the U.S., social media use among teens ages 13 to 17 is widespread: 92% say they ever use <strong>YouTube,<\/strong> 68% use <strong>TikTok <\/strong>and 63% use <strong>Instagram,<\/strong> including majorities who use each of these three platforms daily, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2025\/12\/09\/teens-social-media-and-ai-chatbots-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2025 Pew Research Center survey<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a different <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2025\/04\/22\/teens-social-media-and-mental-health\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Center survey<\/a> conducted in 2024, U.S. teens expressed<strong> mixed views about social media\u2019s impact on their lives.<\/strong> Nearly half of U.S. teens (48%) said social media has a mostly negative effect on people their age, although far fewer (14%) said it has a negative effect on them personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While many teens said that social media hurts their productivity (40%) and amount of sleep (45%), majorities also reported that what they see on social media makes them feel more connected to their friends (74%) and able to express creativity (63%).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udca1\u00a0<strong>Director&#8217;s note<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Introducing an occasional Briefing feature with insights from <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/staff\/katerina-eva-matsa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Katerina Eva Matsa<\/a>, director of news and information research.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2025\/12\/09\/striking-findings-from-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reflect on 2025<\/a>, one recurring theme is how <strong>partisanship continues to shape trust in news.<\/strong> In a <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/2025\/06\/10\/the-political-gap-in-americans-news-sources\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recent report<\/a>, we found that <strong>Fox News<\/strong> is the news source trusted by the largest share of Republicans \u2013 but is distrusted by most Democrats. There is a similar pattern in reverse for <strong>CNN,<\/strong> which is the source Republicans are most likely to distrust, even as Democrats generally trust it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This isn\u2019t just about two networks \u2013 it\u2019s about the massive partisan gap in where Americans turn for information. Democrats tend to trust a broad range of outlets, while Republicans concentrate their trust in a few. These divides matter not only for what information people receive but also what they believe to be true.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a year defined by major news stories \u2013 from a presidential return to rapid advances in AI \u2013 shared facts are more important than ever. Yet as trust fractures along partisan lines, finding common ground becomes harder. Understanding these dynamics is essential for anyone navigating today\u2019s polarized media landscape.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-640-wide\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/12\/SR_25.12.09_striking-findings_9.png?resize=640,762\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\ud83d\udc4b That&#8217;s all for this week.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Briefing is compiled by Pew Research Center staff, including Katerina Eva Matsa, Naomi Forman-Katz, Jacob Liedke, Christopher St. Aubin, Luxuan Wang, Emily Tomasik, Joanne Haner, and Sawyer Reed. It is edited by Michael Lipka and copy edited by David Kent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Do you like this newsletter? Email us at\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:journalism@pewresearch.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">journalism@pewresearch.org<\/a> or fill out this <a href=\"https:\/\/us1.list-manage.com\/survey?u=434f5d1199912232d416897e4&amp;id=449f3c3d35&amp;attribution=false\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/us1.list-manage.com\/survey?u=434f5d1199912232d416897e4&amp;id=449f3c3d35&amp;attribution=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">two-question survey<\/a> to tell us what you think<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2600\ufe0f Happy Thursday!\u00a0The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information. Sign up here! In today\u2019s email: \ud83d\udd25\u00a0Featured story After\u00a0Warner Bros. Discovery\u00a0struck a deal last week to sell its studio and streaming services to\u00a0Netflix, Paramount Skydance\u00a0responded by\u00a0launching a hostile takeover bid. But there is a\u00a0key difference between the two potential transactions: While [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5674,"template":"","meta":{"sub_headline":"","sub_title":"","_prc_public_revisions":[],"_ppp_expiration_hours":0,"_ppp_enabled":false,"wpai_generated_summary":"","prc_watchers":[],"footnotes":"","prc_email_subject":"CNN in limbo as Netflix and Paramount both eye WBD takeover","prc_email_preview_text":"Plus, a note from our director of news and information research","prc_email_template_slug":"","prc_email_mailchimp_audience_id":"","prc_email_mailchimp_segment_id":"","prc_email_mailchimp_campaign_id":"","prc_email_mailchimp_campaign_admin_url":"","prc_email_mailchimp_campaign_status":"","prc_email_mailchimp_pending_send_at":"","prc_email_mailchimp_delayed_send_cancelled":""},"categories":[],"bylines":[],"prc_newsletter_list":[3083],"_post_visibility":[2643],"formats":[],"workflow-status":[],"class_list":["post-311660","prc_email_campaign","type-prc_email_campaign","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","_post_visibility-hidden-on-index"],"label":"Newsletter","post_parent":0,"word_count":753,"canonical_url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/newsletter\/the-briefing\/status-of-cnn-in-limbo-as-netflix-and-paramount-both-bid-to-take-over-wbd\/","charts":[],"art_direction":{"A1":{"id":"5674","rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png?w=564&h=317&crop=1","width":564,"height":317,"chartArt":false},"A2":{"id":"5674","rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png?w=268&h=151&crop=1","width":268,"height":151,"chartArt":false},"A3":{"id":"5674","rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png?w=194&h=110&crop=1","width":194,"height":110,"chartArt":false},"A4":{"id":"5674","rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png?w=268&h=151&crop=1","width":268,"height":151,"chartArt":false},"XL":{"id":"5674","rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png?w=720&h=405&crop=1","width":720,"height":405,"chartArt":false},"social":{"id":"5674","rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png?w=1200&h=628&crop=1","width":1200,"height":628,"chartArt":false}},"_embeds":[],"prc_checklist":{},"watchChildPosts":false,"watchers":[],"table_of_contents":[],"datacite_doi":"","prc_seo_data":{"title":"Status of CNN in limbo as Netflix and Paramount both bid to take over WBD","description":"\u2600\ufe0f Happy Thursday!\u00a0The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information. Sign up here! In today\u2019s email: Featured story: Status of CNN in limbo as Netflix and&hellip;","og_title":"Status of CNN in limbo as Netflix and Paramount both bid to take over WBD","og_description":"","schema_type":"WebPage","noindex":false,"canonical_url":"","primary_terms":[],"custom_schema":[],"og_image":"5674","indexnow_submitted_at":null,"gsc_index_status":{"verdict":"PASS","coverage_state":"Submitted and indexed","robotstxt_state":"ALLOWED","indexing_state":"INDEXING_ALLOWED","last_crawl_time":"2026-06-06T13:05:39Z","page_fetch_state":"SUCCESSFUL","crawled_as":"MOBILE","mobile_verdict":"VERDICT_UNSPECIFIED","mobile_issues":[],"rich_results_verdict":"PASS","rich_results_issues":[],"inspection_link":"https:\/\/search.google.com\/search-console\/inspect?resource_id=sc-domain:pewresearch.org&id=T0bTCSd4xkXhXLkriua0ng&utm_medium=link&utm_source=api","fetched_at":1780935379}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/prc_email_campaign\/311660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/prc_email_campaign"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/prc_email_campaign"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/prc_email_campaign\/311660\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":312915,"href":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/prc_email_campaign\/311660\/revisions\/312915"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=311660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=311660"},{"taxonomy":"bylines","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bylines?post=311660"},{"taxonomy":"prc_newsletter_list","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/prc_newsletter_list?post=311660"},{"taxonomy":"_post_visibility","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_post_visibility?post=311660"},{"taxonomy":"formats","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/formats?post=311660"},{"taxonomy":"workflow-status","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/workflow-status?post=311660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}