David Ellison, whose company Skydance has moved to merge with Paramount Global, has drawn attention in media circles amid changes affecting outlets including CBS News. Any perceived editorial shift at a legacy newsroom tends to spark concern because of the role such institutions have historically played in American democracy.
The phrase “the medium is the message,” coined by Marshall McLuhan in the 1960s, is useful here. McLuhan argued that the form of communication, television, print, radio, internet, shapes public consciousness more powerfully than the specific content delivered through it. Television compressed politics into image and personality. The internet accelerated speed, fragmentation, and algorithmic amplification. Social platforms blurred the line between journalism, commentary, and performance.
If we apply McLuhan’s idea to today’s media environment, the concern isn’t only whether coverage tilts one way or another. It’s that structural forces, ownership consolidation, corporate mergers, audience analytics, political polarization, and platform distribution alter the conditions under which journalism operates.
Historically, major news organizations branded themselves as watchdogs, independent institutions scrutinizing power, whether governmental or corporate. When ownership changes occur, especially in politically polarized times, observers often worry about subtle shifts:
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Editorial priorities (what gets covered, what doesn’t)
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Tone and framing
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Resource allocation to investigative reporting
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Management pressure, explicit or implicit
However, it’s important to distinguish between evidence and perception. Large media organizations now operate within complex legal, commercial, and reputational constraints. Fears that outlets have become “government-friendly” can reflect genuine structural concerns or partisan interpretations of coverage.
McLuhan’s deeper insight may be that the transformation of media ecosystems themselves,m24/7 cycles, digital metrics, streaming competition, and conglomerate ownership, reshapes journalism regardless of any single executive’s intentions. The scale, pace, and incentives of the medium influence what journalism looks like today.