Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav spoke fiercely about the power of storytelling and warned that “when the government controls the news, that is the end of democracy” on Thursday during his speech at the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Humanitarian Dinner, where he was being honored for his humanitarian and philanthropic works.

The annual gala at the Beverly Wilshire’s gilded ballroom drew a who’s who of the media and entertainment industry, which is facing major changes as this week Zaslav’s own WBD officially put itself up for sale.

Attendees at the dinner included Stephen Spielberg, who introduced Zaslav tonight, along with CNN anchor and Jewish Heritage Award recipient Dana Bash , Pulp Fiction and Red Alert producer Lawrence Bender — and a certain David Ellison . Holdin

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