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Why did CBS settle with Trump? Media mogul Shari Redstone speaks.

Poynter · Tom Jones · last updated

The biggest media story of the year, so far, has been Skydance acquiring Paramount, which owns, among other properties, CBS. The deal was completed shortly after Paramount settled a lawsuit with President Donald Trump, who sued over claims that CBS News edited a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris to help her win the 2024 election.

Trump’s case stood little to no chance in court, but the general narrative was that Paramount settled with Trump to get the required approval from his administration for the merger.

At the center of all this was Shari Redstone, the controlling shareholder of Paramount.

Now, The New York Times’ James B. Stewart has a new major story out — “Why Did Shari Redstone Do It?” — which details the 13 months of negotiations between Paramount and Skydance, as well as the reasoning behind settling the lawsuit with Trump.

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