Activists Take to the Streets to Protest the Weak Paramount Settlement

Over the last year, a huge movement arose to block Paramount Skydance’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. Free Press, our partners in the Block the Merger coalition and hundreds of thousands of people across the country spoke out — and helped push 12 state attorneys general to sue to stop the deal.

After news broke on Sept. 19 that the AGs were considering entering into a weak and unenforceable settlement with Paramount, the coalition organized rallies across the country to push back. From Los Angeles to New York City to Oakland, activists, advocates, celebrities and community members rallied to protect our First Amendment rights and to demand that the AGs do the right thing and block the merger with no concessions.

While the attorneys general later betrayed the public by cowering and folding, the coalition that arose to stop this merger remains in place. Our energy, power and momentum continue to grow from coalition to movement.

Oakland urges the AGs to stand strong 

Nearly two-dozen people showed up at Attorney General Rob Bonta’s local office on Sun., Sept. 20, at 5 p.m. — many with only two hours’ notice — to call on him to resist pressure to settle the case. Media workers, First Amendment advocates, union members and concerned residents showed up with signs reading “More Media Giants = Fewer Stories + Higher Prices! Block the Merger” and “Who Benefits When Media Ownership Is Consolidated?”

Annie Leonard, co-founder of the Committee for the First Amendment, and Connie Field, director of the documentary Democracy Noir, both raised the alarm about how the merger would lead to job losses and threats to First Amendment rights. “We know that giant media mergers lead to job losses, higher prices and fewer creative opportunities,” said Free Press’ Qing Saville. “We also see that the Ellison family is willing to censor the media and obscure the truth from the American people.”

New York rallies as the settlement is announced 

On news that Bonta was about to cave to the Ellisons — but that New York AG Leticia James wanted to see the process through — protesters gathered at 9 a.m. on Sept. 21 outside James’ New York City office to thank her and urge her to stand her ground.

Joining the rally were Oscar- and Tony-winning film and theater producer Bruce Cohen, a 2023 National Medal of Arts recipient, and civil-rights leader Rashad Robinson, who warned that this deal would exacerbate the Ellisons’ outsized power to suppress voices, viewpoints and facts; craft discriminatory narratives; and negatively impact public policy.

Archival Producers Alliance documentarian Rachel Antell warned that Paramount would own two of the four historical-news archives — giving them the power to censor, block or even erase them at their whims. Emmy winner Matt Lapin — who wrote and produced for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Colbert Report for 20 years — reminded the crowd that Paramount canceled the Late Show franchise to please Trump and gain regulatory favors to approve the company’s previous merger with Skydance. 

The protesters heard firsthand of the cost to artists and art under the Ellisons. A few minutes after the rally began came the devastating news: The AGs had folded. But the coalition did not! Our scheduled action in Los Angeles moved forward. 

Los Angeles speaks out against the settlement

At 10 a.m. on Sept. 22, Ruth Livier joined the Block the Merger coalition, community members and celebrities to rally outside the main gates at Paramount Studios. About a dozen journalists covered the action.

Speakers took the mic in front of tombstones and RIP signs noting the potential death of “CNN,” “free speech,” “jobs,” “creativity,” “viewpoint diversity,” “labor’s bargaining power” and more. Free Press Co-CEO Jessica J. González was joined by Anjuli Kronheim, executive director of the Committee for the First Amendment; Burbank City Councilor Konstantine Anthony; actors and SAG-AFTRA members Frances Fisher, Constance Marie, Elyssa Phillips and Kirsten Vangsness; and Jake Hart of the Working Families Party.

Jessica told the press why we gathered:

“We’re here today because we are deeply disappointed that our political actors here in the state of California have failed to protect consumers, have failed to protect jobs, and have made a weak deal with Paramount and the Ellisons. The Ellisons took Paramount when they acquired it last year, and they immediately started censoring CBS News.

“We are concerned for the future of CNN. You’ll see that we have tombstones here because we are afraid that CNN is going to die with this merger. We are worried about free speech, and we are worried about the many, many creative folks who are standing here today, because we know that at least 4,500 jobs are going to be lost in Los Angeles, and we’re deeply disappointed.”

Several coalition members and supporters shared that they felt Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, AG Bonta and Gov. Gavin Newsom had all betrayed them in pushing for a settlement. “I’m on the board of SAG-AFTRA,” said Frances Fisher, star of Titanic. “These studios were built on the backs of labor. Without labor, they don’t have their billions and billions of dollars. I am deeply, deeply disappointed and pissed off… Shame on all three of them for caving and leaving us in the dust.”

Anjuli Kronheim read a message from Jane Fonda:

“I am sickened by how Bonta has sold people in the entertainment industry, as well as consumers of our creative work, down the river. The terms of this settlement at this moment in our nation’s history will be extraordinarily damaging. I’m glad [CNN founder Ted Turner] isn’t here to witness the destruction of his unique and important creation.

“This coalition is very powerful. Look what we built. They all said this was a done deal months ago, and we have tremendously pushed to force scrutiny of this merger and the people behind it. We showed that artists and workers are willing to stand together when the independence of our media and creative institutions are threatened, and we built something that will last beyond this: relationships across labor, advocacy and the creative community, and a coalition that knows how to fight together.”

The attorneys general cowered to political pressure, clearing the way for the MAGA-loyal Ellisons to own an unprecedented amount of media holdings, including CNN, HBO, Nickelodeon, and the Warner Bros. and Paramount film studios — among other major media properties. This deal is weak and unenforceable. It reduces competition and labor’s bargaining power. It will be detrimental to viewpoint diversity, consumers and our democracy.

What’s next

Early in the morning on Sept. 24, Free Press and core members of the Block the Merger coalition filed an emergency motion in federal court asking the judge for the opportunity to formally oppose the state attorneys general’s weak and unenforceable consent decree with Paramount. Hours later, she granted this motion — which means this fight is not over.

Our coalition is building a movement that is bigger than just one media merger. Our fight for a democratic multiracial future built on independent media and a fortified First Amendment will continue far beyond this moment.

Our fight is against authoritarianism taking over our media ecosystem. We rallied across the country because we care about this, and will work tirelessly to deconsolidate the media and to build a robust and independent press, and a more just and equitable media system: one that upholds free speech, promotes viewpoint diversity and reflects our multiracial and multicultural demographic reality.

Join Free Press to stay informed about our coalition work, and donate today to keep our fight against media consolidation going strong.