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Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Paramount Global Blasted For Settling Donald Trump's '60 Minutes' Lawsuit: 'Threatens Journalists' Ability To Do Their Job,' WGAE Says
Paramount Global is already facing sharp criticism over its decision to settle Donald Trump's lawsuit over the way that CBS' 60 Minutes edited an interview with Kamala Harris. The $16 million settlement, announced late on Tuesday, came after months of wrangling and protest within CBS News. The lawsuit was seen by many legal observers as meritless, but Paramount Global needs Trump administration approval for its merger with Skydance Media. More from Deadline Paramount Global Settles Trump Lawsuit Over '60 Minutes' Segment For $16M Paramount Settles Donald Trump Lawsuit, Clearing Path For Skydance Merger; $16M Payment But No Apology In '60 Minutes' Affair After Dodgers Incident With Federal Agents, Stephen Miller Co-Founded Legal Group Files Employment Complaint Over Team's DEI Efforts The Writers Guild of America East, which represents writers at 60 Minutes and elsewhere in the news division, said that they stand 'behind the exemplary work of our members at 60 Minutes and CBS News. We wish their bosses at Paramount Global had the courage to do the same. This settlement is a transparent attempt to curry favors with an administration in the hopes it will allow Paramount Global and Skydance Media merger to be cleared for approval. Paramount's decision to capitulate to Trump threatens journalists' ability to do their job reporting on powerful public figures.' Ruth Ben-Ghiant, the author who writes about authoritarianism and propaganda, wrote on X, 'Had they consulted with someone, anyone, who knows about authoritarian shakedown tactics and Mafia states, they would have learned that by paying out they have confirmed their weakness in the eyes of the predator.' Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said in a statement that Paramount's legal exposure in the 'frivolous' lawsuit was 'negligible.' 'Paramount should have fought this extortionate lawsuit in court, and it would have prevailed. Now Trump's presidential library will be a permanent monument to Paramount's surrender, a continual reminder of its failure to defend freedoms that are essential to our democracy.' One organization, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said in May that it planned to file a shareholder derivative lawsuit against the company if there was a settlement. Seth Stern, a spokesperson for the organization said that they were consulting with lawyers, and said, 'Paramount's spineless decision to settle Trump's patently unconstitutional lawsuit is an insult to the First Amendment and to the journalists and viewers of 60 Minutes.' Former correspondents for major media outlets also weighed in, including Maria Shriver, who wrote of the settlement, 'Tragic. Heartbreaking. What a major disappointment. Wow.' More to come. Best of Deadline Who Is [SPOILER]? The Latest Big Marvel Reveal Explained 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Paramount Global Blasted For Settling Donald Trump's '60 Minutes' Lawsuit: 'Threatens Journalists' Ability To Do Their Job,' WGAE Says
Paramount Global is already facing sharp criticism over its decision to settle Donald Trump's lawsuit over the way that CBS' 60 Minutes edited an interview with Kamala Harris. The $16 million settlement, announced late on Tuesday, came after months of wrangling and protest within CBS News. The lawsuit was seen by many legal observers as meritless, but Paramount Global needs Trump administration approval for its merger with Skydance Media. More from Deadline Paramount Global Settles Trump Lawsuit Over '60 Minutes' Segment For $16M Paramount Settles Donald Trump Lawsuit, Clearing Path For Skydance Merger; $16M Payment But No Apology In '60 Minutes' Affair After Dodgers Incident With Federal Agents, Stephen Miller Co-Founded Legal Group Files Employment Complaint Over Team's DEI Efforts The Writers Guild of America East, which represents writers at 60 Minutes and elsewhere in the news division, said that they stand 'behind the exemplary work of our members at 60 Minutes and CBS News. We wish their bosses at Paramount Global had the courage to do the same. This settlement is a transparent attempt to curry favors with an administration in the hopes it will allow Paramount Global and Skydance Media merger to be cleared for approval. Paramount's decision to capitulate to Trump threatens journalists' ability to do their job reporting on powerful public figures.' Ruth Ben-Ghiant, the author who writes about authoritarianism and propaganda, wrote on X, 'Had they consulted with someone, anyone, who knows about authoritarian shakedown tactics and Mafia states, they would have learned that by paying out they have confirmed their weakness in the eyes of the predator.' One organization, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said in May that it planned to file a shareholder derivative lawsuit against the company if there was a settlement. A spokesperson for the organization did not immediately return a request for comment. More to come. Best of Deadline Who Is [SPOILER]? The Latest Big Marvel Reveal Explained 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg
Fast Company
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Fast Company
Paramount will settle with Trump for $16 million over '60 Minutes' Kamala Harris interview
In a case seen as a challenge to free speech, Paramount has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the editing of CBS' '60 Minutes' interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in October. Paramount told media outlets the money will go to Trump's future presidential library, not to the president himself. It said the settlement did not involve an apology. Trump's lawyer said the president had suffered 'mental anguish' over the editing of the interview by CBS News, while Paramount and CBS rejected his contention that it was edited to enhance how Harris sounded. They had sought to get Trump's lawsuit dismissed. There was no immediate word from the White House about the settlement of the case, which Trump filed in Amarillo, Texas. The case has been closely watched by advocates for press freedom and by journalists within CBS, whose lawyers called Trump's lawsuit 'completely without merit' and promised to vigorously fight it after it was filed. In early February, '60 Minutes' released a full, unedited transcript of the interview. Under the settlement reached with help of a mediator, Paramount agreed that '60 Minutes' will release transcripts of future interviews of presidential candidates, 'subject to redactions as required for legal and national security concerns,' CBS News cited the statement as saying. Trump, who did not agree to be interviewed by '60 Minutes' during the campaign, protested editing where Harris is seen giving two different answers to a question by the show's Bill Whitaker in separate clips aired on '60 Minutes' and 'Face the Nation' earlier in the day. CBS said each reply came within Harris' long-winded answer to Whitaker, but was edited to be more succinct. The president's lawyer, Edward Andrew Paltzik, said that caused confusion and 'mental anguish,' misleading voters and causing them to pay less attention to Trump and his Truth Social platform. Paramount and controlling shareholder Shari Redstone were seeking the settlement with Trump, whose administration must approve the company's proposed merger with Skydance Media. CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon and '60 Minutes' executive producer Bill Owens, who both opposed a settlement, have resigned in recent weeks. The Freedom of the Press Foundation, a media advocacy group that says it is a Paramount shareholder, has said that it would file a lawsuit in protest if a settlement was reached. In December, ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit by Trump over statements made by anchor George Stephanopoulos, agreeing to pay $15 million toward Trump's presidential library rather than engage in a public fight. Meta reportedly paid $25 million to settle Trump's lawsuit against the company over its decision to suspend his social media accounts following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
CTV News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Paramount to pay US$16 million in settlement with Trump over '60 Minutes' interview
President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable at "Alligator Alcatraz," a new migrant detention facility at Dade-Collier Training and Transition facility, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Ochopee, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) In a case seen as a challenge to free speech, Paramount has agreed to pay US$16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump over the editing of CBS' ' 60 Minutes' interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in October. Paramount told media outlets the money will go to Trump's future presidential library, not to the president himself. It said the settlement did not involve an apology. Trump's lawyer said the president had suffered 'mental anguish' over the editing of the interview by CBS News, while Paramount and CBS rejected his contention that it was edited to enhance how Harris sounded. They had sought to get Trump's lawsuit dismissed. There was no immediate word from the White House about the settlement of the case, which Trump filed in Amarillo, Texas. The case has been closely watched by advocates for press freedom and by journalists within CBS, whose lawyers called Trump's lawsuit 'completely without merit' and promised to vigorously fight it after it was filed. In early February, '60 Minutes' released a full, unedited transcript of the interview. Under the settlement reached with help of a mediator, Paramount agreed that '60 Minutes' will release transcripts of future interviews of presidential candidates, 'subject to redactions as required for legal and national security concerns,' CBS News cited the statement as saying. Trump, who did not agree to be interviewed by '60 Minutes' during the campaign, protested editing where Harris is seen giving two different answers to a question by the show's Bill Whitaker in separate clips aired on '60 Minutes' and 'Face the Nation' earlier in the day. CBS said each reply came within Harris' long-winded answer to Whitaker, but was edited to be more succinct. The president's lawyer, Edward Andrew Paltzik, said that caused confusion and 'mental anguish,' misleading voters and causing them to pay less attention to Trump and his Truth Social platform. Paramount and controlling shareholder Shari Redstone were seeking the settlement with Trump, whose administration must approve the company's proposed merger with Skydance Media. CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon and '60 Minutes' executive producer Bill Owens, who both opposed a settlement, have resigned in recent weeks. The Freedom of the Press Foundation, a media advocacy group that says it is a Paramount shareholder, has said that it would file a lawsuit in protest if a settlement was reached. In December, ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit by Trump over statements made by anchor George Stephanopoulos, agreeing to pay $15 million toward Trump's presidential library rather than engage in a public fight. Meta reportedly paid $25 million to settle Trump's lawsuit against the company over its decision to suspend his social media accounts following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Al Jazeera
02-07-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Paramount agrees to pay $16m to settle Trump lawsuit over CBS interview
United States media giant Paramount has agreed to pay $16m to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the editing of a 2024 interview aired by CBS, its subsidiary. The payout announced on Wednesday will go towards Trump's planned presidential library, with Paramount stating the funds would not be given to him 'directly or indirectly'. The case stems from a broadcast of 60 Minutes featuring then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which Trump alleged had been deceptively edited to benefit the Democratic Party before the 2024 election. Trump initially sought $10bn in damages, later raising the claim to $20bn. While CBS had described the lawsuit as 'completely without merit' and sought its dismissal, the case proceeded to mediation in April. 'The settlement does not include a statement of apology or regret,' the company statement added. As part of the settlement, 60 Minutes will begin releasing interview transcripts with future presidential candidates following their broadcast, except where legal or national security concerns apply. Trump had alleged that the edited Harris interview – in which her comments on Israel's war on Gaza appeared inconsistent – violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act, which makes it illegal to use false, misleading or deceptive acts in commerce. Legal analysts and press freedom groups have raised concerns over Trump's use of consumer protection laws against media outlets, warning it may be a tactic to sidestep constitutional protections afforded to journalists, who can only be held liable for defamation against public figures if they say something they knew or should have known was false. Neither the White House nor Trump's legal team has commented on the settlement. The settlement follows a decision by Disney-owned ABC News in December to settle a defamation suit with a $15m donation to Trump's library and issue a public apology over inaccurate on-air comments. In January, Meta – parent company of Facebook and Instagram – agreed to pay $25m to resolve a lawsuit over the suspension of Trump's accounts following the January 6 Capitol riot.
