Warner Bros. Discovery chief urges ‘focus’ amid acquisition chaos; AT&T CEO reflects on culture memo

Greetings, comms pros! Let’s take a look at a few stories from the past week and see what we can learn from them.

1. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO tells employees to stay on task as acquisition news swirls

Netflix’s deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery has been one of the hottest news items over the last week. From the impacts on the entertainment industry to potential antitrust issues and even Paramount’s attempt at a hostile takeover, there’s been no shortage of coverage to pore over. But it’s important to remember that in all of this, there are employees at these companies whose livelihoods have been disrupted by chaos.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav sent a memo to employees late last week outlining the details of what the acquisition meant for them, urging them to focus on their day-to-day work.

According to Deadline:

We also recognize that many people are looking for more clarity about what to focus on, how to prioritize work, and what this means for their teams. Those details will become clearer over the next several weeks, as we move toward our 2026 goal-setting and operating plan alignment processes.

As part of that, you will hear guidance from your Business Unit and functional leaders early in the new year, with expectations and priorities anchored to what we know at that point in the regulatory process.

In the meantime, please continue to focus on the work needed to wrap up 2025, support year-end deliverables, and take the opportunity to rest and recharge over the holidays.

We will continue to communicate regularly, and new information will be shared in One Insider and on the One website. And we will see you later today at the Global Town Hall.

While Zaslav’s note doesn’t have every answer, it does commit to providing information for employees as it becomes clearer. Mergers and acquisitions have a lot of moving parts, and directing people to a central source of information like Zaslav’s note can be helpful to get everyone on the same page. These steps, in addition to reminding employees that the day-to-day isn’t changing right away, can help provide much-needed stability during an acquisition.

2. AT&T CEO John Stankey defends viral memo to employees

Earlier this year, AT&T’s CEO sent a memo to employees telling them that the company’s culture was shifting — and it went viral. Back in August, John Stankey effectively let his employees know that the telecommunications giant needed to move faster and get back to the office, and that those who weren’t on board could find employment elsewhere.

Stankey recently reflected on his message at The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit.  He admitted to being too slow to update the company’s culture, but added that the memo itself simply expressed his viewpoint.

According to Business Insider:

“The memo shouldn’t be over-rotated on. It’s one of a series of steps in trying to put a framework out there and remove excuses for leaders to lead,” Stankey said, adding the memo gave context on the framework he was building for the business.

“That memo outlined my point of view on it, and it gives leaders that want to lead all the air cover in the world they need to go and execute around that framework,” he said.

Stankey’s blunt memo delivery wasn’t necessarily a bad thing — it left little room for interpretation, and that’s necessary in times of change like RTO. His directness lets employees know where he stands, and that means something when clarity is such a major internal comms priority.

Seeing leaders reflect on the way they communicate is always welcome — it shows they have a grasp on the importance of the words that come from them.

3. Report: A divide emerges in upskilling access

PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey stated that while 72% of senior executives and 66% of managers felt they had adequate access to upskilling opportunities, that number dropped to just 51% of non-manager level employees. While this split doesn’t necessarily exist because of communication, it’s a gap internal comms pros can work to fill.

By reframing upskilling as a core part of the company’s employee value proposition, internal communicators can help ensure that all employees feel they’re given the chance to grow their skillsets. For instance, that can mean embedding upskilling narratives in internal content campaigns to show employees that their skill development is central to the company’s culture and operations.

Additionally, comms pros can work with leaders to embed more upskilling talk in messaging that goes out to employees. This helps build a sense of inclusion and can emphasize the importance of skill-building from the top down.

4. How about some good news?

• Endangered Sumatran tigers were caught on camera, showing promise for a population increase.
• Oceanographers explored a previously unmapped ocean ridge in the Arctic.
• A site in Bolivia with almost 16,000 dinosaur footprints is helping scientists learn more about their behavior.
• Ragan Training is great for communications pros to find inspiration and resources.
• You should be rewarded for your work. Find out how to earn an award here!

Have a great weekend, comms all-stars!

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports and trivia.