Just last week, Netflix backed out of a competitive bid to buy Warner Bros. against Paramount. This takeover will change the entertainment industry and the quality of media available for American consumers. Entertainment is a medium used to inform, and what we become aware of changes our behaviors and overall attitudes on issues we are exposed to. It matters what stories major news channels highlight, and how stories are portrayed on the big screen.
Entertainment is more than an outlet from reality; it is an active conversation with the audience, and it is important to learn the corporate change of what holds our attention. The future of storytelling is evolving, and it is crucial to be mindful of the authority that studio executives hold.
Warner Bros. considered Paramount’s bid of $31/share a “superior proposal” in comparison to Netflix’s offer. Netflix could not match its initial $27.75/share bid to anything higher, as it would stretch the proposal into a “financially non-attractive” deal. Paramount’s owner, David Ellison, was stringent in proposing the highest bid and ultimately walked away with Warner Bros. Discovery for a steep price of $110 billion.
David Ellison’s connections on Capitol Hill and in the Trump Administration impacted the support he received in interfering with the initial deal Netflix had established. His ties could give him a smoother merger and acquisitions transition, with U.S. and FCC approval in alliance with Trump. These sneaky connections are concerning because the business deal will be designed in the interest of the wealthy CEO and the Trump administration.
Films throughout history have been curated as a reflection of society, intertwined with the political environment of the world. Entertainment companies have great power over shaping people’s ideologies, and this merger will only allow more overload of power and centralized control by one man. Ellison did say he would keep the movie studios, Warner Bros. and Paramount, separate, but I worry that the content won’t be independent from one another.
For cable channels like CBS, Discovery, and CNN, changes will be felt much more drastically. CBS News has already been put in the hands of a conservative media executive, and the same could happen to CNN. These mergers are what could lead to more ideologically polarized news coverage, minimizing the available trustworthy neutral channels Americans can access. CNN will try to maintain honest journalism, factual coverage, and credible sources, but time will tell what the hostile takeover could look like if conservative minds are the decision makers.Â
Our nation is increasingly polarized, and it is our responsibility to do our research and not believe what the government manufactures for viewers. One effect of media on society is the proliferation of fragmented audiences in an era of selective exposure, where people seek content that reinforces existing ideologies, further intensifying people’s attachments to their beliefs.
This administration abuses the minds that hold little attachment because they are more easily convinced. They strategically use reinforcers of characters you already agree with to create a story that you believe. Be careful of what you read, what you watch, and be aware that what you consume passively has a stronger effect.Â