Losing Warner Bros. and public media feels like losing a part of my own story. Growing up, Warner Bros. was synonymous with Saturday mornings spent enthralled by iconic cartoons and unforgettable characters. They've been the architects of our imaginations, creators of worlds where we've laughed, cried, and learned invaluable life lessons without even realizing it. Public media, on the other hand, stands as a beacon of truth, a noncommercial safe haven for educational programming and crucial news coverage that feeds the mind and spirit.

The proposed merger between Paramount, Skydance, and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) threatens this legacy. It risks homogenizing unique media voices, prioritizing profit over quality and diversity, and, worst of all, pushing public-media initiatives to the fringe due to the lost of federal funding. When media conglomerates control the majority of content, there's an inherent conflict—diversity in voices and stories gets drowned out by the loudest, not necessarily the most impactful or truthful.

To ensure a balanced media landscape that honors all perspectives, we must resist such mergers. Beyond personal nostalgia, the threat looms large over a free press. According to a 2020 Pew Research study, a mere 29% of Americans believe media organizations serve the public interest, and corporate control will likely deepen this mistrust.

Instead, let's demand transparent and democratic governance of our media giants, where public input shapes significant decisions. Essential improvements would include stricter antitrust regulations and more robust support for independent and public media channels.

Let's speak up now, before it's too late. By blocking this merger, we can preserve the integrity and variety of our media ecosystem, ensuring that voices large and small, familiar and new, can continue to thrive. Join me in signing this petition to stop the Paramount Skydance WBD merger and save the media landscape for the future. And also save and protect Public Media.