Two respected documentary filmmakers are sounding the alarm over the prospect of Paramount Skydance merging with Warner Bros. Discovery, a corporate marriage that would combine CBS, CNN and HBO under one roof.
Oscar-winning director Laura Poitras and Oscar-nominated helmer Geeta Gandbhir raised concerns about the impact the merger would have on a weakened documentary ecosystem, editorial independence and access to archival materials during a press call organized by Freedom of the Press Foundation on Wednesday.
The event, also hosted by Democracy Defenders Fund, the International Documentary Association, Future Film Coalition and Free Press, focused on the threat that the merger posed to journalistic freedom and documentary production. It’s part of a larger attempt to express opposition to the $110 billion deal as it faces final regulatory hurdles. Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns that Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison has offered favorable press coverage in exchange for approval of the deal.
But in her remarks, Poitras — the filmmaker behind Citizenfour and last year’s Cover-Up — focused on the impact to Hollywood filmmakers. Such a merger would be “devastating for the documentary community,” she argued, explaining, “We already have seen consolidation, we already have seen broadcasters and streamers moving away from political content, and this would just mean less voices, less diversity, less content. It’s awful for the communities, it’s awful for filmmakers and creatives and it’s terrible for the public.”
