Tag: GLAAD Media Awards

In the wake of a monumental $110 billion deal where Paramount Global, through Skydance Media, acquired Warner Bros. Discovery, veteran journalist Don Lemon is speaking out. While attending the 37th annual GLAAD Media Awards, Lemon shared his candid thoughts on the merger, particularly its implications for journalism.

Concerns Over Journalistic Integrity

Speaking on the red carpet at the Beverly Hilton, the 60-year-old journalist expressed that the deal is “not good for journalism at all.” Lemon voiced apprehension about the direction Paramount might steer organizations like CBS News, suggesting a potential political shift that he believes contradicts the core principles of journalism. “Journalism is about the truth, and the truth has no right or no left, it’s just what is,” he stated.

Lemon, who formerly worked at CNN (now part of the merged entity), described the deal as “not my favorite.” He worries about the concentration of power when a single corporate entity gains control over major mainstream news platforms. His advice to the new leadership was clear: “Let the journalists be journalists. Take your hands off of the newsroom.”

Merger Details and Broader Implications

The significant merger, finalized on February 27, consolidates Paramount’s assets—including CBS, Paramount Pictures, and Paramount+—with Warner Bros. Discovery’s extensive portfolio, which encompasses CNN, HBO, Warner Bros. film studios, and Discovery’s cable networks. Lemon argued that such large-scale mergers, enriching billionaires, will not ultimately “save democracy.”

Instead, he asserted that journalists themselves are the ones who will safeguard democracy. He cautioned against political polarization, stating, “It’s not going to be money, it’s not going to be moving people to the right politically. That’s not going to help anything; that’s only going to make America worse.”

Celebrating Kristi Noem’s Dismissal

During his time at the GLAAD Awards, Lemon also took a moment to address the recent firing of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Following his own high-profile arrest in January while covering an ICE protest, Lemon alluded to the situation, drawing cheers from the audience when he mentioned Noem’s name. “Karma is a you know what,” he remarked, expressing hope that more individuals would face consequences for their actions.

• Don Lemon criticized the $110 billion Paramount-Skydance deal for Warner Bros. Discovery.
• He believes the merger is detrimental to journalistic integrity.
• Lemon advised corporate entities to allow journalists independence.
• He argued that journalists, not money or politics, will save democracy.
• Lemon also celebrated the firing of Kristi Noem at the GLAAD Awards.

The 37th annual GLAAD Awards are set to air on Hulu on Saturday, March 21, 2026, promising further insights into the conversations and celebrations from the event.