Inside CBS News: Fear, anger and a silver lining after Paramount-Trump settlement
On Tuesday night, those fears came true.
Paramount Global agreed to pay $16 million to settle Trump's legal salvo against "60 Minutes" over the editing of an interview with his 2024 opponent, then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Within the news organization, there was anger over what is widely seen as a capitulation to Trump in order to clear a path for Paramount's $8-billion merger with David Ellison's Skydance Media. The case was labeled as frivolous by 1st Amendment experts.
But among some CBS News veterans, tempers were calmed by a sobering reality: that the outcome could have been worse.
The biggest concern inside the news division since Trump's complaint was that the media company would be strong-armed into making an apology or statement of regret over a case that they believed had no merit. Amid the internal anger over the settlement, there is relief that that did not happen.
"Everybody knew that was a line in the sand," said a relieved CBS News veteran not authorized to comment publicly on the matter.
Another journalist at the network, speaking on the same condition, said the thinking among many was that any financial payment of less than $20 million without an apology would count as a partial win.
As the negotiations to end the suit lingered, it became more apparent that corporate interests overrode any concerns about the appearance of caving to Trump's demands.
Trump filed suit in October, claiming "60 Minutes" edited an interview with Harris to make her look smarter and bolster her chances in the election, which Trump won decisively. CBS denied the claims, saying the edits were routine.
"If there wasn't a merger pending and they took this to court they would have won," the journalist said of Trump's case. "I think they understood that if they made an apology they would have an internal rebellion and they would have because there was nothing to apologize for."
Some say that the departures of former "60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens and CBS News and stations head Wendy McMahon were enough to satisfy the Trump camp's desire for an apology. Both executives were adamant that CBS News did nothing improper in the handling of the Harris of interview.
Trump's legal team claimed victory.
'President Donald J. Trump delivers another win for the American people as he, once again, holds the Fake News media accountable for their wrongdoing and deceit,' a spokesman said in a statement.
But while "60 Minutes" avoided the humiliation that would have come with a statement of contrition, the program that is the foundation of the news division now has to move forward in an era of media mistrust on the political right and disappointment on the left by those who believe courage is in short supply.
According to several CBS News insiders who spoke to The Times, no one is expected to depart "60 Minutes" in protest of the settlement decision.
Andrew Heyward, a former CBS News president who is now a consultant, said it will be up to the new owners of CBS to maintain the program's journalistic independence. "If that's jeopardized in the future, that would be unfortunate for CBS News and the country," he said.
Though there is anger, many feared a bleak future for the news organization and the rest of the network if Paramount Global couldn't close the Skydance deal. The lawsuit was seen as an obstacle to the deal, which needs approval from the Federal Communications Commission, run by Trump appointee Brendan Carr.
"We can get outraged all we want, but the fact is we were in a really precarious situation," said one of the journalists not authorized to speak publicly. "If that merger went dead, I don't know if anyone would have come along and bought the whole company."
Read more: George Stephanopoulos signs new deal with ABC News amid Trump lawsuit turmoil
While ownership change usually generates fear and uncertainty through media organizations, insiders at CBS News say they will be happy to see Paramount Global's controlling shareholder Shari Redstone in their rearview mirror once the Skydance deal is done.
The feelings inside the news division regarding Skydance range from hope for new investment from deep-pocketed Ellison to resignation that "it can't get any worse."
As for any damage to its reputation, CBS News is taking some comfort in the fact that ABC News hasn't noticeably suffered from its own $16 million settlement over anchor George Stephanopoulos mistakenly saying Trump was convicted of rape rather than sexual abuse in the civil suit brought by E. Jean Carroll. Stephanopoulos signed a new contract at the network amid the controversy and his program "Good Morning America" hasn't suffered a ratings loss since.
Viewers have high expectations for "60 Minutes," which after 57 seasons still ranks as the most-watched news program on television (it's also the most profitable show on CBS). If the program is allowed to maintain the same standard of deep reporting it's known for, the audience will get past a bad corporate decision, according to Heyward.
"People on the right will say it's another example of mainstream media getting what it deserves," Heyward said. "People on the left will say it's another example of a corporation caving to President Trump for its own selfish interests. And most people will go back to watching '60 Minutes' and expect strong independent reporting without fear or favor — that's what really matters."
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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