NEWSCBS News Staffers Reeling After Donald Trump's '60 Minutes' Settlement: 'What Comes Next?'
CBS staffers were left stunned after Paramount settled Donald Trump's 60 Minutes lawsuit, fueling censorship fears.
July 4 2025, Published 10:15 a.m. ET
CBS News staffers are on edge after Paramount Global chose to settle a high-profile lawsuit with Donald Trump for Kamala Harris' 60 Minutes episode, leaving many questioning the integrity of the network.
Veteran journalism professor Al Tompkins said: "It is odd to call this a 'settlement' when the result of it is so unsettling."
Inside the newsroom of 60 Minutes, where journalistic gold has been forged for decades, whispers of fear are resonating among the staff. One insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, told CNN, "There is great fear about what comes next."
Many press groups fear a "chilling effect" to media outlets after Trump's lawsuit.
Paramount's settlement drew backlash from journalists, lawmakers and scholars.
"Behavior that gets rewarded gets repeated," warned the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. "This settlement will only embolden the president to continue his flurry of baseless lawsuits against the press — and against the American people's ability to hear the news free from government intrusion."
When Trump filed the suit against CBS last fall, Harvard's very own Rebecca Tushnet, a First Amendment law expert, didn't hold back. "It was ridiculous junk and should be mocked!" she said.
Fast forward to now, and Tushnet expressed disappointment in Paramount's decision to settle, declaring, "The individual incentive in a budding authoritarian state is always to capitulate; that's the point of imposing costs on speech."
Former CBS News correspondent Armen Keteyian tossed in his two cents, echoing sentiments from the ranks: "This Paramount settlement is the nadir for the network — a breach of the public trust [Edward] Murrow, [Walter] Cronkite, [Don] Hewitt and thousands of us worked decades to build."
Democratic lawmakers are up in arms, too. Senator Elizabeth Warren slammed the deal as "bribery in plain sight," while Senator Ron Wyden didn't hold back, promising action "when Democrats retake power," calling out "the corporate execs who sold out our democracy."
Donald Trump received $16 million for his library after suing CBS over Kamala Harris' ‘60 Minutes’ segment.
The bribery accusations stem from Paramount's explicit attempts to persuade the Trump administration to green-light its pending merger with Skydance Media. However, Paramount insists that their settlement has nothing to do with the FCC merger review process.
Trump casually linked his 60 Minutes lawsuit to the merger delay during a June interview, revealing his motives were anything but hidden.
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The settlement terms, which hit the media on Tuesday, July 1, reveal Trump will receive a whopping $16 million for his presidential library, a payday that mirrors a deal Disney struck last December. Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute, took aim at Paramount, calling Trump's library "a permanent monument to Paramount's surrender."
Press freedom advocates have decried CBS's actions as "spineless" and "shameful," with veteran media reporter Paul Farhi pointing out the ironic backlash, questioning why Paramount is taking the brunt of the blame when it's Trump orchestrating this attack on press freedoms.
Staffers and experts fear a 'chilling effect' after the Paramount settlement.
The Wall Street Journal's conservative editorial board couldn't resist weighing in, stating, "The President is using government to intimidate news outlets that publish stories he doesn't like. It's a low move in a free country with a free press."
Despite Trump's preoccupation with his legislative agenda, a spokesperson from his legal team framed the settlement as a step towards holding "the Fake News media accountable for their wrongdoing and deceit."
In the haze of this turmoil, Tompkins stressed, "Transparency is key."
CBS eventually relented and shared the full transcript and tapes of the infamous Harris interview that reaffirmed the flimsy legal standing of Trump's case. The lawsuit may have given Trump leverage over Paramount, but it raises existential questions about the media's ability to operate free from political pressure.
As the fine line between politics and media continues to blur, Paramount has slapped down reports of any shady side deals between Trump and Skydance CEO David Ellison over public service announcements, stating, "Paramount has no knowledge of any promises or commitments made." But the murky waters remain, casting uncertainty over what a Trump-aligned Skydance could mean for CBS News.
Paramount insists the settlement was unrelated to its pending Skydance merger review.
With CBS reporters unsure how to navigate this unfolding saga, there's a collective desire to forge ahead and keep doing their jobs.
"This settlement is not a reflection on the essential and bold work of 60 Minutes and CBS," Tompkins concluded. "It is a reflection of a vindictive president and corporate heads who did not value one of the fundamental principles that underpin the ownership of a news organization."
That principle? "Act Independently."
