Billionaire John Malone just dropped a truth bomb on CNN’s left-leaning ways.
As a major shareholder in CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, Malone’s part ownership entitles him to call out CNN’s drift from straight news to political cheerleading, a critique he aired on Kara Swisher’s podcast Thursday, as the Daily Mail reports. His words sting because they come from a man with skin in the game. The libertarian mogul isn’t afraid to say what many conservatives have long suspected about the network’s agenda.
In 2021, Malone told the New York Times that CNN was failing as a competitor to Fox News by prioritizing politics over journalism. Back then, Warner Bros. and Discovery were merging, and Malone saw CNN’s approach as a liability. His earlier jab clearly still haunts the network, as Swisher brought it up in their recent chat.
Malone didn’t mince words, calling CNN “too political” to keep up with Fox News and MSNBC. Fox consistently crushes both in ratings, per Adweek data, proving viewers reward networks that don’t hide their bias. CNN’s sanctimonious claim to objectivity just doesn’t hold water.
“Yeah, but they don’t hold themselves to be all journalism,” Malone said of Fox News, responding to Swisher’s point that it’s also political. He’s got a point -- Fox wears its bias like a badge, while CNN cloaks it in a veneer of neutrality. That hypocrisy is why viewers are ditching CNN for networks that own their slant.
Malone’s libertarian streak shines through when he calls out CNN’s anchors for their invisible bias. “These are good people who believe they’re not biased,” he said. But good intentions don’t erase the leftward tilt that’s alienating half the country.
Malone noted Fox’s success with personalities like Sean Hannity, who openly admits his bias. “They hold themselves to be sometimes journalism,” Malone said of Fox’s approach, highlighting Hannity and others as “quasi-celebrities” with dedicated time slots. CNN’s preachy pundits could learn a thing or two from Fox’s unapologetic style.
Even Fox’s resident comedian, Greg Gutfeld, draws bigger audiences than CNN’s straight-laced anchors. “Is it entertainment or is it news? It’s entertainment,” Malone said of Gutfeld’s right-wing humor. CNN’s failure to engage viewers with anything beyond sanctimonious lectures is its own undoing.
Swisher pointed out the rise of right-wing networks such as One America News and Newsmax, which Malone sees as filling a market gap. “There is a rising economic structure that’s willing to support it,” he said, emphasizing the demand for news that doesn’t pander to the progressive elite. CNN’s out-of-touch coverage ignores this reality at its peril.
Malone’s critique of CNN’s bias isn’t just a hunch -- it’s backed by the industry’s own leanings. “You’ll find damn few professional journalists on the right,” he said, noting their voting and donation patterns. This lopsided ideology explains why CNN’s coverage often feels like a lecture from the coastal bubble.
The billionaire's own political donations, including $250,000 to Trump’s 2017 inauguration and support for Republicans in 2024, show where his sympathies lie. Yet his call for CNN to serve the public and make money isn’t partisan -- it’s practical. A network that alienates conservatives isn’t just biased; it’s bad for business.
CNN’s anchors might bristle at Malone’s words, but they can’t ignore the numbers. Fox News' ratings dominance proves viewers want authenticity, not sanctimony. Malone’s libertarian lens sees through the network’s self-righteous facade.
Malone’s vision for CNN is simple: deliver news that serves the public, not a progressive agenda. His critique exposes the network’s failure to connect with everyday Americans who see through its bias. The woke echo chamber isn’t just boring -- it’s a losing strategy.
Swisher’s podcast gave Malone a platform to repeat what conservatives have said for years: CNN’s leftward tilt is its Achilles’ heel. By pretending to be neutral while pushing a clear agenda, the network undermines its own credibility. Malone’s blunt assessment is a wake-up call they can’t afford to ignore.
The billionaire’s words carry weight because he’s not just a critic -- he’s an investor. If CNN wants to compete, it needs to ditch the sanctimonious posturing and start reporting news, not narratives. Until then, expect Fox News and rising right-wing networks to keep eating their lunch.
