Jane Fonda’s Committee Slams Warner Bros. Discovery Shareholders Over Paramount Merger Approval

The Committee for the First Amendment, led by Jane Fonda, has strongly condemned Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shareholders for voting to approve the studio’s pending merger with Paramount.

“Today’s decision by Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders to advance a merger with Paramount is a serious setback — for our industry, for the workers who sustain it, for consumers, and for the fundamental democratic values that depend on a diverse and independent media landscape,” the statement read. “But this merger is not a done deal — and this fight is far from over.”

The committee emphasized that sustained pressure can influence outcomes, pointing to recent challenges against media consolidation, such as the proposed Tegna-Nexstar Media Group deal and scrutiny of Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster.

“We’ve seen time and again that sustained pressure works,” the statement continued. “Efforts to challenge consolidation ... have demonstrated that coordinated legal, political, and public advocacy can change outcomes, especially when state Attorneys General step in to protect the public interest.”

The group reaffirmed its commitment to opposing the merger, stating:

“A handful of powerful decision-makers should not be allowed to quietly reshape American media, culture, and creative life without accountability. We will keep speaking out for the workers and artists at the heart of this industry, and for the public, which deserves more than an ever-shrinking circle of control over what they see, hear, and read.”

The committee concluded with a defiant message:

“This fight continues. And we fully intend to win.”