Press Freedom Becomes an Afterthought in Paramount-Warner Merger Deal

The water tower at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images.

You have to scroll to the end of California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s statement about the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger to find the first — and only — mention of the massive settlement’s implications for freedom of the press.

In addition to Paramount-Warner commitments regarding film production and distribution, Bonta’s statement notes, “The company agrees to a News Editorial Independence Board to help CNN and CBS maintain editorial independence.”