Right now, the media in the U.S. is in jeopardy due to the proposed merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Not only would this merger bring together the two largest entertainment companies in the world, causing a corporate hegemony, but it would also put these two parent companies of dozens of other media networks under the ownership of a handful of Trump-aligned tech billionaires.
Two such billionaires are Larry Ellison and his son, David Ellison. Larry Ellison owns one of the most dangerous surveillance platforms in the world and is the single largest donor to the Israeli military. This deal is not yet done and still needs approval from the federal government and regulators. In the past, State Attorneys General have used antitrust laws to stop mergers like this. We have to keep fighting back against this clear monopolization of our media by Zionists!
CODEPINK, along with thousands of filmmakers, actors, and industry workers, says #BlockTheMerger! Sign this petition to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, and urge him to do right by the American people.
Dear Rob Bonta, California Attorney General,
Right now, the state of American media is in jeopardy due to the proposed merger of Paramount and Warner Bros, and you have the ability as State Attorney General to block this merger. As California AG, you oversee the country's entertainment hub, where thousands are employed in the media and have dedicated their life's work and passions to the industry. By blocking this merger, you would be saving the jobs, livelihoods, and cultural contributions of thousands in your state.
This merger brings together the two largest entertainment companies in the world, causing a corporate hegemony and placing dozens of subsidiary media networks under the ownership of only a handful of people. One of those people would be none other than Larry Ellison, the notorious tech billionaire who owns one of the most dangerous surveillance platforms in the world and is the single largest donor to the Israeli military. Ellison pours money into a military that has been committing genocide in Gaza and an ethnic cleansing campaign in Lebanon.
If our media falls under the control of people like Larry Ellison, it would be a monopoly that would only make the rich richer and more capable of controlling the narrative. We are already seeing this progression with the Ellisons' acquisition of media companies like TikTok, CBS, The Free Press, Skydance, and Paramount. When CBS fell under the leadership of the Ellisons, for example, they placed genocide-apologist Bari Weiss as the outlet's Editor-in-Chief. Now, the news outlet has lost many of its dedicated viewers, its staff, and its integrity because of its incredibly Trump-aligned, biased reporting.
Over 4,000 filmmakers, actors, industry workers, and the entire Writers' Guild of America have come out against the merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. This is not something the people want; they want a voice in the art, culture, and news they produce and consume. They do not want their media overtaken by billionaires with dangerous political motives who seek to encourage more U.S. tax dollars for war and genocide.
What we are seeing with this merger is the process of combining all entertainment and news companies, which are each unique in their own way, into one giant conglomerate. It's already frightening that a couple of parent companies own most media companies. We can't let this go any further. The U.S. has anti-trust laws for this exact reason, and it is up to you and the other 49 state Attorney Generals to enforce these regulations. Stand with the people of your state and country in preserving the integrity of their entertainment and news, and block the merger of Paramount and Warner Bros!Â