Attack on press freedom: Hegseth insists on CNN takeover after important report – and requires “truly patriotic press” | EUROtoday

The US authorities has massively criticized the information channel CNN for its reporting on the Iran warfare. Defense Minister Pete Hegseth mentioned on Friday (native time) that he may hardly look ahead to the channel to be taken over by the movie and media group Paramount Skydance and thus by supporters of US President Donald Trump. He additionally known as for a “truly patriotic press.”

At a press convention on the Iran War, Hegseth attacked the US media and particularly CNN. The former Fox News host was significantly outraged by a CNN report that Washington had underestimated the danger of a blockage of oil shipments by the Strait of Hormuz when planning air strikes on Iran. The report was “patently ridiculous,” Hegseth mentioned, including: “The sooner David Ellison takes over this station, the better.”

Ellison is the pinnacle of the movie and media group Paramount Skydance, which prevailed towards Netflix within the bidding dispute for the takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) on the finish of February. WBD additionally owns a number of tv channels, together with CNN. Ellison agreed to take care of CNN’s editorial independence. He and his father Larry Ellison, head of the software program firm Oracle, are long-time supporters of Trump.

The White House additionally criticized the CNN report. “This story is 100 percent fake news,” wrote spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt on the net service X. The Pentagon has been getting ready “for decades” for a attainable closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran. This was “part of the Trump administration’s planning” lengthy earlier than the air strikes on Iran started on February twenty eighth.

In response to the criticism, CNN CEO Mark Thompson mentioned the community’s solely curiosity was “telling the truth to our viewers in the United States and around the world.” “Political threats or insults” wouldn’t change that.