Plus: DoorDash PR lead gets defensive in comments; Roblox addresses new safety features.
More than 2,500 actors, writers and directors are publicly opposing a proposed $110 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros., warning it could reshape the entertainment industry in ways that limit creativity and competition.
In an open letter, the group voiced “unequivocal opposition” to the deal, arguing it would further consolidate an already shrinking media space. Their concerns are wide ranging, including a loss of jobs, affordability and fewer choices for audiences.
It reads in part:
“Our industry is already under severe strain, in large part due to prior waves of consolidation. We have witnessed a steep decline in the number of films produced and released, alongside a narrowing of the kinds of stories that are financed and distributed. Increasingly, a small number of powerful entities determine what gets made—and on what terms—leaving creators and independent businesses with fewer viable paths to sustain their work.”
While actors Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston and Jane Fonda are notables from the list of signatories, the New York Times reports theater owners and industry groups too inked the message, warning the deal could further hurt theatrical releases, potentially limiting what shows up on screens.
There was no call to action, but the message did conclude with an acknowledgement that Rob Bonta, California’s attorney general, is “considering legal action to block” the deal. The merger requires regulatory approval.
“We…stand ready to support all efforts to preserve competition, protect jobs, and ensure a vibrant future for our industry, for American culture, and for our single most significant export,” the letter said.
Why it matters: When you see hundreds of well-known names tied together, the visual alone is powerful. It feels like a group speaking with one voice, rather than a single post or one-off statement. It makes the issue seem urgent and harder to ignore.
It’s a message designed to shape public opinion and regulatory scrutiny at the same time. But it also shows the impact an organization or group has when they unite and go public.
The message itself is strong. It’s very clear what these industry workers’ concerns are, which is reiterated throughout. But no executives were mentioned by name. There wasn’t defensiveness. It stuck to ideals like “American culture” and sustaining the arts. It resonates with values people generally support.
Underneath this, the real audience may be regulators. The letter says the deal is harmful to competition, jobs and creative diversity, which are all key antitrust concerns. They’ve aligned the message to what that audience cares about.
Editor’s Top Reads:
- DoorDash recently helped orchestrate a feel-good White House moment featuring a delivery driver bringing McDonald’s to President Donald Trump to celebrate the newly passed No Tax On Tips policy. It was framed as a typical delivery in a video shared on X by the White House. But it wasn’t. The driver, Sharon Simmons, had already been advocating for that policy, and the whole thing was coordinated, Yahoo! Which is totally fine and completely expected in the PR industry, but because it was positioned as authentic, people were not happy. But then things went from bad to worse when Julian Crowley, DoorDash’s public affairs lead, responded in the comments…and then stayed there. He kept sparring with people in ongoing replies, sarcasm and a few “you’re missing the point” arguments. At one point, he even told critics to “touch grass.” That’s when things moved from “was this staged?” to “why is the PR guy fighting people online?” Being reactive this way actually harms DoorDash’s reputation. Rather than sharing how the moment came together and centering the conversation back on the positive sides of the stunt, Crowley got really defensive, which just looks messy and out of control. By continuing to engage, he reinforced the very criticism he was trying to push back on and it all backfired. It appears some of the replies have since been deleted, but unfortunately, the damage is done.
- Roblox announced two new age-based account types designed to limit content, control communication and give parents more oversight. The new settings include stricter content ratings, default chat restrictions and a system that automatically moves users into more permissive accounts as they age. CEO and founder David Baszucki writes, “When it comes to safety, we do the right thing, including proactive filtering, age checks, parental controls, and providing clear content ratings, because the well-being of our community is our highest priority.” On its own, this is a safety update. But it’s also clearly a response to recent criticism, lawsuits and regulatory pressure over how well the platform protects kids. Where Roblox gets it right is in how it packaged the response. It’s clear and specific. It lays out exactly what’s changing. The way it’s written also anticipates questions and addresses how they will move forward, including both visuals and links in the announcement. Policy changes can sometimes be overly technical. Roblox is being clear, transparent and leaves no room for interpretation, which reduces confusion and helps reassure stakeholders that it has a clear plan in place.
- Social platforms aren’t sending people to content like they used to, and the people who do show up aren’t sticking around. Nieman Lab reports new data from Chartbeat shows referrals from platforms like X have dropped sharply, with traffic down about 70% since 2022. Facebook isn’t doing much better. And even when users do click through, they’re spending less time on publisher sites. Users from Facebook spent an average of 44.7 seconds on publisher pages in 2022 compared with 29.8 seconds in 2026. Instagram, too, dropped from 43 seconds to 15.8 seconds for the same period. If fewer users are clicking out of platforms, earned media loses some of its built-in amplification. A great headline doesn’t travel as far if the algorithm would rather keep users scrolling than send them somewhere else. This doesn’t mean social is dead, but its role may now be different. It’s less of a traffic driver and more of a brand and narrative space. This just means companies may need to measure different things. If you’re still measuring success by clicks only, you might start thinking everything is failing. Instead, think more about reach and message clarity.
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at courtneyb@ragan.com.
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