CBS News Legend Dan Rather Blasts Paramount for $16 Million 'Sell-Out' to Donald Trump: 'Sad Day for Journalism'

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Dan Rather accused executives at CBS News' parent company of bowing down to extortion from Donald Trump as they attempt to complete a merger
'It's a sad day for journalism,' the 93-year-old remarked in reference to Paramount's $16 million settlement
Trump previously sued 60 Minutes for $10 billion in October, accusing them of deceptively editing an interview with former Vice President Kamala HarrisDan Rather blasted executives at CBS News' parent company, Paramount, over their decision to settle a lawsuit with President Donald Trump.
The 93-year-old journalist, who had an iconic run on the CBS Evening News and frequently appeared on 60 Minutes, spoke out on Wednesday, July 2, following the news that Paramount had agreed to pay several million dollars to settle a lawsuit with the president.
Trump sued CBS News and accused them of deceptively editing former Vice President Kamala Harris' 2024 campaign trail appearance on 60 Minutes, according to reporting by Reuters. After months of back and forth, Paramount agreed on Wednesday to pay $16 million to Trump's future presidential library.
The lawsuit initially sought $10 billion in damages, and brought grave concerns about the precedent Paramount would set for all media companies if it ultimately gave into Trump's demands. Notably, a representative for Paramount told Reuters in a statement that "the settlement does not include a statement of apology or regret."
As news of the settlement broke, Rather spoke to Variety and delivered a blistering condemnation of what he described as "distortion by the President and a kneeling down and saying, 'yes, sir,' by billionaire corporate owners."
'It's a sad day for journalism,' he said, adding, 'What really gets me about this is that Paramount didn't have to settle.'
The reporter noted that settling a lawsuit implies an admission of guilt. CBS News already released an unedited transcript of the Harris interview, and according to Rather, the evidence showed there was no guilt to be had.
Additionally, he noted, "Lawyers almost unanimously said the case wouldn't stand up in court.'
'I was disappointed, but I wasn't surprised,' he admitted to the outlet. 'Big billionaire business people make decisions about money. We could always hope that they will make an exception when it comes to freedom of the press, but it wasn't to be."
Rather branded the parent company's decision as "a sell-out to extortion by the President," further asking, "Who can now say where all this ends?'
'Trump is now forcing a whole news organization to pay millions of dollars for doing something protected by the Constitution — which is, of course, free and independent reporting," he added.
Rather said that it wasn't just media companies that were giving in to Trump. He singled out universities and law firms as other examples, saying, "Now he's extorting what he wants out of news organizations. So when I say, 'Where does this go?' What are the effects on journalism as a whole?'
The journalist didn't think all was lost, saying that "Journalism has had its trials and tribulations before" and that, "It takes courage to just soldier on."
"I know the people at CBS News, and particularly those at 60 Minutes, they'll do their dead level best under these circumstances. But the question is what this development and the message it sends to us. And that's what I'm trying to concentrate on,' he said.
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Rather's scathing attack comes a few months after executive producer Bill Owens retired from 60 Minutes in April over similar frustrations with Paramount.
Correspondent Scott Pelley addressed Owens' departure in a shocking segment on 60 Minutes that month, implying that the loss came as Paramount was allegedly attempting to soften coverage of controversial topics to gain Trump's favor.
The company is in the midst of a merger with the entertainment company Skydance, which will require sign off from Trump's administration to become a reality.
'Bill made sure they were accurate and fair. He was tough that way, but our parent company, Paramount, is trying to complete a merger. The Trump administration must approve it," Pelley said.
He continued, adding, 'Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways. None of our stories has been blocked, but Bill felt he had lost the independence that honest journalism requires.'
Read the original article on People