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This past Thursday night, while unconfirmed reports spread concerning a shooting at Brown University, the network's Kaitlan Collins posted on social media, highlighting the uncertainty and directing people to her channel's 9pm newscast.

Although it is by no means a flawless news source, her message rang true for a lot of people. It stands as one of the outlets where one can locate grounded and largely reliable reporting – particularly during breaking news situations such as the one developing near a New Hampshire storage facility.

An Uncertain Position During a Business Battle

But CNN, now four and a half decades old, finds itself in a uncertain state as two huge media empires compete for ownership of its parent company, Warner Bros Discovery.

Whatever the outcome, the destiny of CNN has become part of a high-risk game of corporate ownership, instead of as a question of what benefits the information-seeking public.

“This is yet another example of the fundamental flaws with origins in many years of governmental choices,” stated Victor Pickard, writer of “Democracy Without Journalism?” and a professor of media policy at the University of Pennsylvania.

The debate about the future owner of Warner Bros Discovery – could it be Netflix or Paramount Skydance? – fails to grasp a broader point.

“It gets presented as a financial tale with key players as the protagonists, but there is scant discussion of the public interest,” Pickard explained.

The Additional Factor: Donald Trump

The network's predicament is further muddied by Donald Trump’s opinions about a network he has consistently labeled as perhaps his primary “fake news” foe.

Remember the cries of “CNN sucks!” at Trump's rallies, his administration’s punitive revocation of reporter Jim Acosta’s press credentials, or his tense exchanges with Collins in official meetings.

Trump now claims that the network requires new ownership. Many see this as a desire for ownership that will protect him from journalistic oversight. That is part of why he seems to support Paramount Skydance, which has made a aggressive takeover attempt.

He has grounds to favor that suitor more. For one thing, it is run by David Ellison, son of the pro-Trump Larry Ellison, one of the world’s richest people.

Paramount, owner of CBS News, also recently appointed the conservative Bari Weiss, noted for her “anti-woke” beliefs, as the lead editor of that storied news network.

A Future of More Turmoil

It is important to note, if Netflix prevails, CNN and other cable outlets would first be carved out into a separate entity. That would be a welcome development to many at the network, but it’s far from a guarantee of stability. That structure could position CNN for another sale. The cycle continues.

According to Timothy Wu, a great deal of this is a violation of antitrust statutes, anyway. The influential voice of big tech’s dominance stated that competition laws should block both deals.

“Each proposed deal would be detrimental to the country, and both should be opposed by the government,” Wu argued.

The Bigger Challenge and a Potential Solution

Regardless of the resolution regarding CNN, the bigger problem persists.

“Our current system is a very structure that undermines democracy, but we ought not succumb to learned helplessness,” Pickard said. Regulatory choices – dating back to the 1930s and 1940s – helped to build this hyper-commercialized monster, and new policy decisions can address it.

Will that happen in an era where the top communications regulator refuses to acknowledge that the agency is independent? Overhaul is very unlikely now, but that doesn’t mean it will not happen in the future.

Measures that strengthen independent news organizations, bolster local journalism, fund public media, and outlaw the concentration of media power in too few hands are within reach – they are vital for a robust democracy.

In the world of media ownership, bigger isn’t better. And news organizations including CNN must not be pawns in the most recent merger game.