Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras has warned of a U.S. documentary sector under pressure and mobilized, including in opposition to the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery deal. She cited an open letter signed by over 1,000 industry professionals urging the merger, which has significant backing from other filmmakers. She also highlighted the decline in public funding for politically sensitive work, particularly for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which was defunded by Congress last summer. She suggested that politically sensitive material could be difficult to pitch to major platforms like Netflix or HBO for projects such as regime change strategies in Venezuela and Iran.