Dear Friend,
CBS News is on the verge of becoming part of the largest pro-Trump media monopoly in America.
Two of the nation's biggest news organizations — CBS News and CNN — along with CBS entertainment (home to Stephen Colbert), Comedy Central (home to Jon Stewart), HBO (John Oliver), and TikTok (where 1 out of 5 Americans now get their news) — are all about to become one giant mega-media monopoly under the control of Trump allies and suck-ups: multibillionaire Larry Ellison and Ellison's son, David.
It could make Rupert Murdoch's media empire of Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post look scrupulous by comparison.
The truth is as simple as it is frightening: Trump cares more about TV news than he does about his presidency.
In fact, TV news is his presidency. He chose his Cabinet members on the basis of their total loyalty to him and how they look and sound on TV. He spends all day watching coverage of himself on TV. And now he's on the verge of having effective control over a gigantic media monopoly.
You know who can stop this from happening? State attorneys general.
They have the power to enforce antitrust laws and sue to stop this merger. They have legal standing and necessary resources to challenge this monstrosity.
Sign and send a direct message to your state attorney general now!
Billionaires are flipping media companies like playing cards. They don't give a fig for the common good, or about the producers, correspondents, journalists, and investigative reporters whose lives are being turned upside down.
To them, it's all about accumulating more wealth and power.
But it's bad for the economy, bad for our democracy, and bad for America.
All this has happened so suddenly that most Americans still haven't noticed the emergence of this new pro-Trump media empire — CBS, CNN, HBO, Comedy Central, and TikTok — all under the control of Trump cronies Larry and David Ellison.
The Ellisons' new mega-media monopoly would never pass muster if America still had antitrust enforcers. Media mergers and acquisitions deserve even stricter scrutiny than normal deals. But Attorney General Pam Bondi's Department of Justice is as likely to stop this deal as she is to enforce criminal laws against ICE agents.
California's attorney general, Rob Bonta, has already made clear he will take it on. I'm asking every Californian to send him a message of support. And for the rest of our country, I'm asking everyone to urge their state attorney general to join California's lawsuit or launch a separate lawsuit.
This is how you can help stop this. Send your message today.
When the dark history of this sordid era is written, among the most shameful culprits — who put making humongous amounts of money for themselves above the common good — will be Larry and David Ellison; Shari Redstone, former owner of Paramount; and David Zaslav, the current CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery.
But history can also write that when Paramount wanted to create a mega-media monopoly, the American people stopped them.
The last thing America needs is a giant pro-Trump media monopoly. Thank you for standing up and demanding action today.
Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action
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