Overview
- The op-ed by Mark Ruffalo and antitrust advocate Matt Stoller, published Thursday in the New York Times, calls on artists to speak out against the proposed Paramount Skydance–Warner Bros. Discovery merger.
- Ruffalo and Stoller say many creators privately support blocking the deal but declined to sign a public letter because they fear career retaliation.
- They cite two disputed examples they view as pressure tactics, including a report that Paramount pulled ads from The Ankler over “Block the Merger” buttons and a CNN segment that was passed on, with CNN saying no one told its journalists to avoid the story.
- The opposition letter has surpassed 4,000 signatories, with organizers urging state attorneys general to try to block the transaction on antitrust grounds.
- The deal has shareholder approval but still faces U.S. and European reviews, while backers promise separate studio operations and at least 30 theatrical releases a year as critics warn consolidation would cut jobs and narrow choices for audiences and artists.