News commentary

Paramount’s Trump settlement hands CBS News a black eye

Poynter · Tom Jones · last updated

There’s no other way to slice it. This is a sad moment in journalism history.

Paramount, the owner of CBS, gave in to President Donald Trump. It buckled. It caved. It made a decision based on business and, as a result, did incalculable damage to the journalistic integrity of CBS News.

CBS and its signature news program “60 Minutes” did a lengthy interview with Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris shortly before the 2024 election. Trump then sued the company, complaining that Harris’ answers were edited in such a way to make her look good and help her win the election.

Related Knowledge Center: The White House vs. the press

State of Play

Whether it’s the Des Moines Register’s publication of an unfavorable election poll, a routine edit of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, or the Associated Press’s decision in its authoritative stylebook to continue to use “Gulf of Mexico,” Donald Trump and the White House have used executive authority and legal reprisals in an effort to punish and suppress press coverage that runs contrary to the administration’s preferred narratives.

Democracy and politics | Signalgate | The CBS submission | Voiceless America


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Related Knowledge Center: Free speech and public protest

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The First Amendment is facing challenging times: Crackdowns on campus protests prompted both-sides claims of intolerance. Attempts to head off dangerous health misinformation have been characterized as violations of free speech. Donald Trump is publicly punishing news outlets that deviate from his administration’s version of events while privately suing some outlets into submission.

The White House vs. the press  |  Voiceless America 


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Related Knowledge Center: State of the business model

State of Play

The traditional journalism business model has long since collapsed, and news organizations have shrunk or disappeared entirely. While a number of promising experiments are under way, the public has not shown a willingness to buy what news organizations are selling.

Artificial intelligence


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Related Knowledge Center: The CBS submission

State of Play

Corporate pressure has led to capitulation by CBS News in a number of conflicts with the Trump regime — including its newly ideological coverage philosophy.

The White House vs. the press


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