From CBS to TikTok, US media are falling to Trump's allies. This is how democracy crumbles | Owen Jones

US media falling to Trump's allies as democracy crumbles

The US media landscape has undergone a seismic shift since Donald Trump returned to the presidency. The Trump administration, led by his close friends and allies, Larry Ellison and David Ellison, has successfully bought off major media outlets. This process is often referred to as "Orbánisation", inspired by Hungary's authoritarian leader Viktor Orbán.

In August, David Ellison's Skydance Media acquired Paramount Global with financial support from his father, Larry Ellison. This acquisition brought control of CBS News, one of the US's "big three" networks, under their umbrella. The network has faced severe backlash since Trump demanded CBS lose its broadcasting license over alleged political bias and even sued the network over what he called a flattering edit of Kamala Harris's 60 Minutes interview.

The new owners have brought in pro-Trump officials to monitor "bias" on the network. Bari Weiss, a former Democrat turned anti-woke crusader, was made editor-in-chief, further cementing the administration's grip on mainstream media.

Meanwhile, Trump officials are briefing that they are also in favour of Paramount Skydance buying Warner Bros Discovery, the parent company of HBO and CNN. The pro-Trump newspaper New York Post states that rival bidders will face "regulatory hurdles" with WBD's CEO forced to consider the Trump administration's willingness to crack down on what it sees as rampant leftwing bias across the mainstream media.

Larry Ellison also leads a group of investors set to take over TikTok's US operations, with other partners reportedly including Rupert Murdoch and Abu Dhabi's government-owned investment company. Ellison is a fervent supporter of Israel and has previously donated millions to its military through the non-profit Friends of the Israel Defense Forces.

The acquisition of these media outlets marks a significant blow to American democracy. The Trump administration has threatened Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg with "spend the rest of his life in prison" if he crosses him, effectively silencing his critics on social media. The administration has also taken steps to silence liberal comedians and journalists, such as suspending Jimmy Kimmel's ABC show after the pro-Trump chair of the Federal Communications Commission demanded action.

Furthermore, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting – long deemed hostile by Trump – has been defunded and shut down. US media outlets have been stripped of their Pentagon credentials after refusing to only report officially authorised information issued by the Department of Defense. Trump's lawsuits against media organisations have further cowed them.

The administration has also deployed the national guard to Democratic strongholds, centralised control over elections, and launched new gerrymandering offensives. Republicans have demanded the denaturalisation and deportation of socialist New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, as Trump threatens to defund the city if he wins.

The erosion of democracy in the US has been decades in the making. A 2014 academic study found that the political system is rigged in favour of what the economic elites want. However, due to the US's history of checks and balances, some believed it could never succumb to tyranny.

However, such complacency has collided with brutal reality. In just nine months, the US has been dragged towards an authoritarian abyss. The warning signs are clear: Trump has 39 months left in office, and it is essential for Americans to take action before democracy crumbles further.

Freedom of the press is under attack . The fact that major media outlets have fallen into the hands of those with a vested interest in silencing dissenting voices is a stark reminder that the power of the pen can be a double-edged sword . As the saying goes, "The newspaper that prints lies today will kill tomorrow." - Walter Lippmann

Ugh, can't believe what's happening with our media landscape ... Like, I'm all about good design and structure, but when the people who own the outlets are basically Trump's BFFs it's like they're intentionally trying to mess up the format of free speech . News organizations should be independent and fact-based, not some pro-Trump propaganda mill . The whole thing is so concerning that I'm seriously considering switching to a VPN just to protect my info ...

im not sure what's more disturbing - the fact that trump's allies are buying up major media outlets or that the gov is silencing critics and demonetizing news orgs. its like we're living in a sci-fi movie where the ruler of the country has total control over what info reaches the people

Wow this guy's got some serious concerns about the direction of the US media landscape and how it's affecting democracy... it's like they're playing with fire here, no wonder people are getting worried about the future

Man... this is getting out of hand I mean, we're talking about major media outlets being owned by people with ties to the Trump administration. It's like they're trying to shape public opinion or something. And now the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is defunded? That's a huge blow to journalism in the US. They need that funding to stay independent and hold those in power accountable.

I'm worried about what's happening to our democracy, you know? It feels like we're living in a parallel universe where facts don't matter and truth is whatever they say it is . I mean, I've seen some pretty wild stuff on social media lately, but this is on a whole different level.

I'm not sure what's going to happen next, but one thing's for sure: we need to be vigilant and speak out against this kind of manipulation of the system. We can't just sit back and let our democracy crumble like that . We gotta take action, even if it feels scary or uncomfortable.

I'm not naive, I know there are checks and balances in place, but this is a big deal. We need to make sure we're holding those in power accountable for their actions and protecting our rights as citizens. This isn't just about Trump or the media, it's about what kind of country we want to be

I'm getting super worried about the state of US media . It's like they're being slowly strangled by the Trump admin's allies. I mean, who needs a free press when you've got ' biased' editors-in-chief and pro-Trump owners breathing down their necks? The thought of major networks like CBS News just being shut down or severely restricted is chilling. What's next, you know? A complete takeover of the media landscape by Trump's buddies?

can't believe what's going on in america they're literally buying off all the major news outlets now it's like the whole country is one big cult following trump's every move. and don't even get me started on tiktok, larry ellison as the new owner? dude has a clear agenda and it's not a good one

the thing is, most americans are still in denial about how bad things have gotten. they're all like "but america is still a democracy" and no, it's not trump and his crew are dismantling the system from within and we need to wake up and take action before it's too late.

i mean, what even is the point of having an election if it's just going to be rigged in favour of whoever the elites want to win? and don't even get me started on the corporate media

anyway, i guess that's my two cents. feel free to roast me as much as you want

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." You don't have to wait for someone else to make a difference, every single one of us has the power to shape our future. We should be more vigilant and proactive about protecting our democracy before it's too late. The fact that some major media outlets are falling under Trump's control is alarming and we need to take action now to counter this trend

the truth is out there but with trump's buddies buying off major media outlets like skydance and paramount global, it's getting harder to find reliable news we need to stay vigilant and support independent journalism or else we risk losing our democracy to a cult of personality

I mean, what's going on with our media over here? It's like they're just throwing away the principles of journalism. First of all, this Larry Ellison guy buying up all these major outlets? It's insane! He and his crew are basically silencing anyone who doesn't align with Trump's agenda. And now they're trying to get control of HBO and CNN too?! That's just terrifying.

And don't even get me started on TikTok . I mean, I know some people love the app, but come on! We can't let a private company like that have so much power over what we see online. It's like, hello! Free speech is still alive and kicking in this country.

The Trump administration is just trying to manipulate everything, even the media. They're silencing critics and journalists who dare to speak out against them. And now they're threatening to crack down on social media platforms if someone doesn't toe their line? Give me a break!

We need to wake up, guys! We can't just sit back and let our democracy crumble like this. We have to take action before it's too late. Maybe we should start supporting alternative news sources that aren't owned by these Trump cronies? Or at the very least, we should be talking about this more!

I'm seriously worried about what's going down with our media outlets, fam! It's like, we're living in a parallel universe where truth and facts just don't matter anymore. With Trump's people swooping in and buying up major networks like CBS News, it's like they're trying to control the narrative from the very beginning.

And can we talk about how this is basically an "Orbánisation" situation? Like, Viktor Orbán's Hungary did it first, but now the US is following suit. It's chilling to think that we might be losing our democratic values and freedom of speech.

I mean, what happens when the media is controlled by pro-Trump officials like Bari Weiss? Does that mean we're just gonna accept a biased view of reality? And what about all these other outlets like Warner Bros Discovery or TikTok's US operations being taken over? It's like they're trying to silence dissenting voices and push their own agenda.

We need to wake up, fam! We can't just sit back and watch our democracy crumble. We gotta take action before it's too late. Maybe we need to start looking for alternative news sources or supporting independent journalists who aren't afraid to speak truth to power.

But, like, I know it's hard when the powers that be are trying to silence us . We gotta stay vigilant and make our voices heard. We can't let Trump and his crew control the narrative – we're the ones who need to take back our democracy!

man I'm telling ya this is some deep stuff they're literally buying off the media outlets like they're nobodies like Larry Ellison and his dad are besties with Trump and now they own CBS News what's next? they're gonna take over all the other news channels too and then we'll be living in a total propaganda bubble it's like, come on guys can't you see this is all about consolidating power and control and silencing anyone who disagrees with them meanwhile, we're just sitting here twiddling our thumbs waiting for democracy to crumble

I'm really worried about what's going on in the US right now . It seems like they're literally buying off major media outlets and turning them into pro-Trump propaganda mills . This is a huge blow to American democracy, especially with the CEOs of these companies being Trump allies . And it's not just that - they're silencing critics on social media, censoring liberal comedians and journalists, and even threatening people like Mark Zuckerberg with prison time . It's getting scary fast . I'm a total skeptic when it comes to trends like this, but it looks like the US is genuinely losing its grip on democracy . We need to stay vigilant and take action before it's too late

I was just thinking about how I need to update my phone's wallpaper . I mean, have you seen those new iPhone wallpapers? They're so... calming . Anyway, I was reading this article about the US media landscape and it made me think, what's the deal with TikTok? Larry Ellison leading a group of investors to take over its US operations? That dude's got some serious influence . And have you noticed how much tech companies are investing in Israel lately? It's like they're trying to make up for something... or maybe just making friends . But back to the article, it's crazy how much control Trump's administration has over media outlets now. It's like they're silencing everyone except themselves . What do you think about all this? Should we be worried about democracy?

I'm not surprised that Trump's allies are taking over major media outlets. It's like they're trying to rewrite history or something . I mean, who needs unbiased reporting when you can just have pro-Trump propaganda? And what's up with all these lawsuits against the media? It's like they're trying to silence anyone who doesn't agree with them . Newsflash: democracy is supposed to be about free speech and diverse perspectives!

man this is wild , like what's happenin' to us?? Trump's got these buddies Larry & David Ellison just buying up all the major media outlets and now they're basically doing his bidding... CBS News, Paramount Global, even Skydance Media, it's all under their control . And these guys are just spewing out pro-Trump propaganda left and right, it's like they're not even trying to hide it anymore . I mean I get it, if you've got the money, you can buy influence, but come on, this is America we're talkin' about! We're supposed to have a free press, not some puppet show with Trump's best friends calling the shots . And don't even get me started on TikTok, Larry Ellison's just another one of these guys who's gonna silence dissenting voices and stuff his own agenda down our throats . The media landscape is literally crumbling before our eyes and we're just supposed to sit back and watch? No way, man! We gotta take action, speak out against this authoritarian nonsense and fight for our democracy

man... this US media situation is getting out of hand like they're trying to control every single outlet and push their own agenda on the people. i'm not surprised that trump's allies are buying up all these major networks, it's like they're trying to silence dissenting voices and promote their own brand of conservatism.

i mean, who needs an independent press when you can just have a bunch of pro-trump editors dictating what's news-worthy? it's crazy how the media landscape has shifted so dramatically since trump took office. and now they're even trying to acquire tiktok in the US? that's just ridiculous

anyway, i'm not sure if americans are aware of just how much their democracy is being eroded. it's like they're sleepwalking into a totalitarian nightmare . we need some serious pushback from all sides of the aisle to restore the checks and balances system. otherwise, who knows what kind of dystopian future we'll be living in?

The media landscape in the US is super concerning right now . It's like they're trying to silence anyone who dares to disagree with Trump or his allies . I mean, come on, buying off major outlets and installing anti-woke editors like Bari Weiss is just plain shady . And don't even get me started on the whole Meta thing - it's like Zuckerberg is being threatened into censorship .

It's like they're trying to create this echo chamber where only Trump's views are represented . News outlets that refused to play along, like Jimmy Kimmel's show, got suspended or shut down . And now, the Pentagon is taking away their press credentials? That's a major blow to free speech.

The whole thing just feels so... Orwellian . I mean, what's next? Silencing liberal comedians and journalists? It's like they're trying to strangle dissenting voices in the US. We need to take action before it's too late . We can't just sit back and watch our democracy crumble .

the whole thing is super sketchy . larry ellison and david ellison buying up all the major media outlets and bringing in their buddies as editors? it's like something out of a bad movie. and these trump officials are literally monitoring "bias" on cbs news? what even is that? sounds like they're trying to shape public opinion to fit their own agenda . and have you seen the way they're treating liberal comedians and journalists? suspending jimmy kimmel's show because of some pro-trump chair at the FCC? that's straight-up censorship .