Under the stewardship of its new proprietor, David Ellison, the corporate parent of CBS, Paramount, is making several strategic shifts. This is in response to allegations of prejudice directed by the Trump administration. Paramount has taken the creative step of employing a news ombudsman with clear conservative connections. It’s a concerted attempt from the network’s latest shareholder to address the concerns raised by critics of its news division, among them, President Trump and his affiliates.
In the recent past, the organisation has appointed a new public representative for CBS News. To satisfy the views shared by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the network has taken on the commitment to broadcast comprehensive, unedited interviews on its public affairs program. Additionally, there are rumors that they might hire a senior news executive who recognizes mainstream media bias. The above actions have all been undertaken in accordance with orders handed down from Paramount’s upper echelons under the fresh ownership of Skydance Media.
CBS has a rich history rooted in journalism that can be traced back to the early days of television news broadcasting. This legacy has steered the network’s coverage of several historical events, and in doing so, helped shape America’s understanding of these occurrences. In more recent times, CBS news has scrutinized Trump’s tenure critically, and consequently, has drawn criticism from the President himself.
The latest actions undertaken by CBS under the umbrella of Skydance Media come in the wake of a lawsuit settlement paid by CBS’s former owners to President Trump. Despite the change in ownership, the network has continued to fall under the critical eye of the Trump administration. A notable example being when the White House and Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem faulted the network’s handling of a recent interview.
Paramount harbors ambitious designs, a key aim being to secure ownership of Warner Bros. Discovery. This would mean gaining control of significant assets such as Warner Bros. studios, HBO Max, and media behemoth CNN. Meanwhile, Paramount Global, CBS, and CBS News have remained tight-lipped on these matters.
Skydance’s operations revolve around its founder and leader, David Ellison. His portfolio boasts movie franchises like Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible, among others. His father, Larry Ellison, commands attention as a known supporter of President Trump.
The new management is considering engaging a dissenting journalist to oversee CBS News’s operations. Skydance appears to have set its sights on the digital news and opinion startup, The Free Press. Despite having been in existence for just over four years, the platform has attracted both attention and investment.
Bari Weiss, the creator of The Free Press, is known for her critique of perceived bias within mainstream media. While it’s not likely that Weiss would micromanage the daily operations of CBS news, she is seen as a potential candidate for a high-ranking news executive role. From this position, she could influence the reporting strategy and narrative of CBS news.
David Ellison acquired Paramount from Shari Redstone, its previous majority shareholder. Redstone holds significant pride in her family’s legacy. However, she believed that her properties would find it challenging to stay afloat in the rapidly evolving landscape dominated by major streaming services. Redstone also had some reservations about some of the reporting by CBS.
Subsequent to a lawsuit settlement with President Trump, CBS opted to drop the late-night show hosted by Stephen Colbert, citing financial concerns. This shakeup formed part of a series of changes accompanying the network’s transfer of ownership.
The sale of the controlling stakes in Paramount Global to David Ellison got the green light from the Federal Communications Commission. The approval came with several stipulations. Key among these was the appointment of a news ombudsman, whose role would be to review feedback on news coverage from the perspective of CBS News.
The individual who was handed this role was Kenneth Weinstein, a former executive of a conservative think tank. This position was integral to the goal of adding diversity to CBS News’s viewpoints.
In an unexpected development, the network declared that their Sunday public affairs program would start featuring only unabridged interviews. These would either be aired live or presented as though they had been broadcast in real-time.
This decision was a response to criticism directed at CBS after editing an extensive interview with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The rules surrounding this matter were introduced following the backlash CBS received for its handling of the interview.
The post Paramount’s New Strategy Amidst Trump Allegations: News Ombudsman with Conservative Ties appeared first on Real News Now.
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