Paramount, a significant player in the media industry, has come to an agreement to pay a hefty amount of $16 million. This figure is in response to a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump, who took issue with the editing of a ’60 Minutes’ interview featuring then-Vice President Kamala Harris, aired by CBS in October.
Paramount has clarified that this monetary settlement will be used to fund Trump’s future presidential library and will not go directly to the president himself. Furthermore, Paramount emphasized that the settlement did not necessitate an apology.
Reports indicate that Trump’s legal representative argued the president experienced “mental anguish” as a result of the editing of the interview by CBS News. However, both Paramount and CBS have consistently denied Trump’s claims that the interview was manipulated to make Harris appear more eloquent and sought to have the lawsuit dismissed.
Under the terms of the settlement, achieved with the assistance of a mediator, Paramount has agreed that future ’60 Minutes’ interviews involving presidential candidates will be accompanied by transcripts. These transcripts will be made public, subject to redactions necessary for legal and national security considerations. This information comes from a statement quoted by CBS News.
President Trump, who declined an interview with ’60 Minutes’ during the campaign, expressed dissatisfaction with the editing where Harris was shown providing two differing responses to a question posed by Bill Whitaker on ’60 Minutes’ and ‘Face the Nation’. CBS argued each response was part of Harris’ extended reply to Whitaker, which was edited for brevity.
Edward Andrew Paltzik, the president’s lawyer, contended that such editing caused confusion and “mental anguish,” misleading the electorate and diverting attention from Trump and his Truth Social platform.
Additional reports suggest that Paramount and controlling shareholder Shari Redstone sought the settlement with Trump, whose administration plays a role in approving the company’s proposed merger with Skydance Media. In related news, CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon and “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens, both opponents of a settlement, have resigned in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, a media advocacy group claiming to be a Paramount shareholder, has voiced its intention to file a lawsuit in protest if a settlement is reached.