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Late Thursday, as rumors swirled regarding an incident at Brown University, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins took to social media, pointing out the conflicting information and pointing viewers to her network’s 9pm newscast.

Although the network is hardly a flawless news source, her words resonated to many. It remains one of the broadcasters where you can find fact-based and generally dependable reporting – particularly during crises such as the one developing close to a New Hampshire storage facility.

A Precarious State Amid a Business Battle

However the news network, now 45 years old, finds itself in a uncertain situation as two huge media corporations compete for ownership of its parent company, Warner Bros Discovery.

Regardless of who wins, the future of CNN has turned into a major game of corporate ownership, not as a question of what helps the news-consuming public.

“This is yet another example of the deep structural problems with roots in decades of governmental choices,” stated Victor Pickard, author of “Democracy Without Journalism?” and a professor of media policy at the Pennsylvania University.

The speculation about which company will control Warner Bros Discovery – is it going to be Netflix or Paramount Skydance? – fails to grasp a larger point.

“The narrative is crafted as a business story with powerful individuals as the central actors, but there is very little discussion of the common good,” Pickard explained.

The Complicating Element: The Former President

The network's predicament is made more complex by Donald Trump’s opinions about a network he has long portrayed as perhaps his chief “fake news” antagonist.

Think back to the cries of “CNN sucks!” at the president’s rallies, his administration's retaliatory suspension of reporter Jim Acosta’s press credentials, or his sparring with Collins in press briefings.

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 appears to come down on the side of Paramount Skydance, which has made a hostile bid.

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

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

A Possibility of Continued Turmoil

It is important to note, if Netflix is successful, CNN and other cable outlets would first be separated into a standalone company. That would be a relief to many at the network, but it’s not exactly a guarantee of stability. That structure could pave the way for CNN for yet another acquisition. It never ends.

In the view of Timothy Wu, a great deal of this is against the law, anyway. The influential voice of big tech’s dominance recently argued that anti-trust laws should block both deals.

“Either merger would be bad for the country, and both should be opposed by regulators,” Wu argued.

The Core Challenge and a Potential Solution

Regardless of the resolution in this situation, the bigger problem endures.

“Our current system is a profoundly system hostile to democracy, but we shouldn’t give in to a sense of powerlessness,” Pickard emphasized. Regulatory choices – dating back to the 1930s and 1940s – helped to build this overly commercial monster, and different policy decisions can tackle it.

Will that happen in an era where the top communications regulator will not confirm that the agency is independent? Overhaul is highly improbable now, but that should not imply it will be impossible forever.

Initiatives that support independent news organizations, aid local journalism, fund public media, and outlaw the accumulation of media power in very few hands are within reach – they are vital for a robust democracy.

Regarding media ownership, bigger isn’t better. And news organizations such as CNN must not be pawns in the most recent merger game.