Latest news with #DanRather
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dan Rather denounces Paramount's settlement as "a sell-out to extortion"
Dan Rather is adding himself to the chorus of people who are furious and concerned about Paramount's decision to settle with Trump for $16 million—a growing ensemble that also counts Elizabeth Warren and pretty much anyone who isn't on the board of Paramount Global among its ranks. Donald Trump initially sued the broadcaster for an amount that eventually grew to $20 billion last year over a 60 Minutes pre-election interview with Kamala Harris he says was edited in her favor. Variety reports that 'most legal experts' agreed the suit was frivolous and would have been thrown out of court, but the company also happened to need White House approval for a merger with Skydance that it's trying to push through its final stages. In the former CBS News anchor's view, this decision was a 'sad day for journalism' and a 'sad day for 60 Minutes and CBS News.' In a statement to Variety, Rather continued, 'I hope people will read the details of this and understand what it was. It was distortion by the President and a kneeling down and saying, 'yes, sir,' by billionaire corporate owners.' 'What really gets me about this is that Paramount didn't have to settle,' he said. 'You settle a lawsuit when you've done something wrong. 60 Minutes did nothing wrong. It followed accepted journalistic practices. Lawyers almost unanimously said the case wouldn't stand up in court.' Heightened internal oversight and pressure around the merger also led to the departure of top producer Bill Owens, who cited a decrease in journalistic independence as a reason for his resignation. Another major executive, Wendy McMahon, soon followed. Rather reiterated that his support for his former colleagues who remain at 60 Minutes is 'total, absolute. I do really think they fought a good fight on this, and they'll continue to fight. The people on 60 Minutes and at CBS News didn't just take it lying down. They did their best to stop it.' Of the settlement, he said he 'was disappointed, but I wasn't surprised. 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.' 'Trump knew if he put the pressure on and threatened and just held that they would fold, because there's too much money on the table,' he continued. '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. Now, you take today's sell-out. And that's what it was: It was a sell-out to extortion by the President. Who can now say where all this ends?' It doesn't seem like Rather thinks it will end any time soon. 'It has to do with not just journalism, but more importantly, with the country as a whole,' he said. 'What kind of country we're going to have, what kind of country we're going to be. If major news organizations continue to kneel before power and stop trying to hold the powerful accountable, then we all lose.' While he said that in his more than six decades as a journalist he's never seen the profession face challenges like this, he did close with some words of encouragement for anyone down in the trenches. 'Journalism has had its trials and tribulations before, and it takes courage to just soldier on,' he said. 'Keep trying, keep fighting. It takes guts to do that. And 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.' More from A.V. Club Duster's LaToya Morgan and Rachel Hilson on rooting a very '70s story in the here and now Spoiler Space: Jurassic World Rebirth once again makes dinosaurs everyone's problem Sinners got a bunch of its costumes from Marvel's abandoned Blade period movie
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CBS News Legend Dan Rather Blasts Paramount for $16 Million 'Sell-Out' to Donald Trump: 'Sad Day for Journalism'
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. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 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
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Former CBS anchor slams Paramount settlement with Trump: ‘It was a sellout'
A former CBS News anchor and 60 minutes correspondent, Dan Rather, has blasted the $16m settlement between Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, and Donald Trump, calling it a 'sad day for journalism'. 'It's a sad day for 60 Minutes and CBS News,' Rather, a veteran journalist who was a CBS News anchor for over 20 years, told Variety in an interview published on Wednesday. 'I hope people will read the details of this and understand what it was. It was distortion by the president and a kneeling down and saying, 'yes, sir,' by billionaire corporate owners.' Last November, Trump sued CBS News, claiming that the network's interview with the Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, had been doctored to portray her in a favorable light – which he alleged amounted to 'election interference'. Many legal experts had widely dismissed the lawsuit as 'meritless' and unlikely to hold up under the first amendment, but on Wednesday Paramount announced that it had agreed to pay Trump $16m to settle the case over the interview that was broadcast on the CBS News program 60 Minutes. The settlement comes as Paramount is preparing for a $8bn merger with Skydance Media, which requires approval from the US Federal Communications Commission. Paramount has said that the lawsuit is separate from the company's merger. A spokesperson for Trump's legal team said in a statement to the Guardian that 'With this record settlement, 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. 'CBS and Paramount Global realized the strength of this historic case and had no choice but to settle,' the spokesperson added. According to Wednesday's announcement, the settlement funds will not be paid to Trump directly, but instead would be allocated to Trump's future presidential library. The settlement did not include an apology. Rather told Variety on Wednesday that in his opinion 'you settle a lawsuit when you've done something wrong' and '60 minutes did nothing wrong, it followed accepted journalistic practices'. 'Lawyers almost unanimously said the case wouldn't stand up in court,' he said. Ultimately though, Rather said he was disappointed but not surprised by the settlement. 'Big billionaire businesspeople make decisions about money,' he said. 'We could always hope that they will make an exception when it comes to freedom of the press, but it wasn't to be. 'Trump knew if he put the pressure on and threatened and just held that they would fold, because there's too much money on the table,' Rather said. '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. Now, you take today's sellout. And that's what it was: It was a sellout to extortion by the president. Who can now say where all this ends?' He continued: 'It has to do with not just journalism, but more importantly, with the country as a whole. What kind of country we're going to have, what kind of country we're going to be. If major news organizations continue to kneel before power and stop trying to hold the powerful accountable, then we all lose.' In his more than 60 years in journalism, Rather told Variety he had never seen the profession face the kind of challenges as those it faces today. 'Journalism has had its trials and tribulations before, and it takes courage to just soldier on,' Rather said. 'Keep trying, keep fighting. It takes guts to do that. And 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 [is] this development and the message it sends to us. And that's what I'm trying to concentrate on.'
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Former CBS anchor slams Paramount settlement with Trump: ‘It was a sellout'
A former CBS News anchor and 60 minutes correspondent, Dan Rather, has blasted the $16m settlement between Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, and Donald Trump, calling it a 'sad day for journalism'. 'It's a sad day for 60 Minutes and CBS News,' Rather, a veteran journalist who was a CBS News anchor for over 20 years, told Variety in an interview published Wednesday. 'I hope people will read the details of this and understand what it was. It was distortion by the president and a kneeling down and saying, 'yes, sir,' by billionaire corporate owners.' Last November, Trump sued CBS News, claiming that the network's interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, had been doctored to portray her in a favorable light – which he alleged amounted to 'election interference'. Many legal experts had widely dismissed the lawsuit as 'meritless' and unlikely to hold up under the first amendment, but on Wednesday Paramount announced that it had agreed to pay Trump $16m to settle the case over the interview that was broadcast on the CBS News program 60 Minutes. The settlement comes as Paramount is preparing for a $8bn merger with Skydance Media, which requires approval from the US Federal Communications Commission. Paramount has said that the lawsuit is separate from the company's merger. A spokesperson for Trump's legal team said in a statement to the Guardian that 'With this record settlement, 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.' 'CBS and Paramount Global realized the strength of this historic case and had no choice but to settle' the spokesperson added. According to Wednesday's announcement, the settlement funds will not be paid to Trump directly, but instead would be allocated to Trump's future presidential library. The settlement did not include an apology. Rather told Variety on Wednesday that in his opinion 'you settle a lawsuit when you've done something wrong' and '60 minutes did nothing wrong, it followed accepted journalistic practices'. 'Lawyers almost unanimously said the case wouldn't stand up in court,' he said. Ultimately though, Rather said he was disappointed but not surprised by the settlement. 'Big billionaire businesspeople make decisions about money' he said. 'We could always hope that they will make an exception when it comes to freedom of the press, but it wasn't to be. 'Trump knew if he put the pressure on and threatened and just held that they would fold, because there's too much money on the table' Rather said. '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. Now, you take today's sellout. And that's what it was: It was a sellout to extortion by the president. Who can now say where all this ends?'. He continued: 'It has to do with not just journalism, but more importantly, with the country as a whole. What kind of country we're going to have, what kind of country we're going to be. If major news organizations continue to kneel before power and stop trying to hold the powerful accountable, then we all lose.' In his more than 60 years in journalism, Rather told Variety he has never seen the profession face the kind of challenges as those it faces today. 'Journalism has had its trials and tribulations before, and it takes courage to just soldier on,' Rather said. 'Keep trying, keep fighting. It takes guts to do that. And 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.'
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dan Rather Calls '60 Minutes' Settlement A 'Sell-Out To Extortion By The President'
Journalist Dan Rather expressed sincere disappointment Wednesday in Paramount Global, the parent company of his former employer CBS News, for agreeing to settle a lawsuit from President Donald Trump's administration for $16 million. 'It's a sad day for journalism,' Rather told Variety in an interview published Wednesday. 'It's a sad day for '60 Minutes' and CBS News.' 'I hope people will read the details of this and understand what it was,' he continued. 'It was distortion by the president and a kneeling down and saying, 'yes, sir,' by billionaire corporate owners.' Trump sued CBS last fall over what he claimed was a deceptively edited '60 Minutes' interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, his opponent in the 2024 election, and accused the network of 'partisan and unlawful acts of voter interference.' Despite high-profile resignations at CBS and public concern, including from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), that the company would cave to Trump's lawsuit, Paramount Global agreed earlier this week to pay Trump $16 million. The settlement funds are to be allocated to a future presidential library and will not be paid personally to Trump. Rather, a veteran broadcast journalist who anchored CBS News for 24 years and served as a '60 Minutes' correspondent for much of his career, suggested Wednesday that the wealthy owners of CBS's parent company lacked principles. 'Paramount didn't have to settle,' he argued. 'You settle a lawsuit when you've done something wrong. '60 Minutes' did nothing wrong. It followed accepted journalistic practices. Lawyers almost unanimously said the case wouldn't stand up in court.' The deal came at a precarious time for Paramount Global, however, as the company is currently eyeing an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media. The merger requires approval from the Trump administration's Federal Communications Commission. 'I was disappointed, but I wasn't surprised,' Rather said Wednesday. 'Big billionaire businesspeople 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 shared that, in his 60 years as a journalist, he has never seen the profession face the political threats it is navigating today. He noted that even 'big time' law firms and universities are settling with Trump — and 'kneeling the same way' as Paramount Global. Rather added that Trump 'knew' the company would fold if he kept applying pressure. '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 told Variety. 'Now, you take today's sell-out.' He concluded, 'And that's what it was: It was a sell-out to extortion by the president.' Bernie Sanders Rips 'Extremely Dangerous' Paramount-Trump Settlement: 'Government Extortion' Paramount Agrees To Pay Trump $16 Million In Outrageous Settlement Fox News Pundit Asks Most Sycophantic Question About Trump. It Does Not Go Well.
