CBS News star and 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley has sounded the alarm about the possibility of Paramount Global reaching a $20 million settlement in the lawsuit filed against CBS and 60 Minutes by President Donald Trump. The President alleged that CBS “deceptively edited” Kamala Harris’ 60 Minutes interview to favor her during the 2024 election campaign, Knewz.com has learned.
The Courage to Speak
The CBS correspondent believes that a financial settlement or apology from Paramount to the president would be “a blow to the principles of American journalism,” according to reports. Commenting on the role of journalism in democracy during an interview with fellow 60 Minutes correspondent Anderson Cooper, Pelley said, “The most important thing is to have the courage to speak, to not let fear permeate the country so that everyone suddenly becomes silent. … If you have the courage to speak, we are saved. If you fall silent, the country is doomed. … It is the only thing that’s gonna save the country. You cannot have democracy without journalism. It can’t be done.” Speaking of the possibility of a settlement between Paramount Global and Trump, the CBS correspondent said, “Well, it’d be very damaging to CBS, to Paramount, to the reputation of those companies.”
The Allegations
President Trump had originally filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS in October 2024, claiming that the network edited the 60 Minutes interview with Harris to “tip the scales in favor of the Democratic Party” in the election. According to the lawsuit, CBS aired two versions of the Harris interview in which she appears to give different answers to the same question about the Israel-Hamas war. In an amended complaint filed in February 2025, President Trump upped his claim for damages to $20 billion, according to reports.
A Resignation
Paramount Global entered mediation in April to resolve the lawsuit, fearing the legal fight could jeopardize its pending $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, which is currently awaiting regulatory approval. In May, Paramount had offered $15 million to settle, while Trump’s team wanted more than $25 million and was also seeking an apology from CBS News. Bill Owens, the long-time executive producer of 60 Minutes, said in April that he was stepping down over concerns about editorial independence. A month later, CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon, who opposed the settlement between Paramount and Trump, followed suit, telling employees that she and corporate management “do not agree on the path forward.”
Bad Vibes
“As soon as it was announced that Wendy was leaving, the general mood was, ‘Okay, this settlement is much closer than we thought. … It really felt like she was another scalp following Bill Owens and maybe that is something that would appease Trump and his negotiators,” an anonymous CBS staffer commented. “We understand that a settlement will be made. … We also understand that an apology [to Trump] is likely. We also understand that in doing so, CBS News will be very badly damaged,” they added.
The post CBS News Anchor Sounds Alarm on Trump Settlement appeared first on Knewz.
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Author: Samyarup Chowdhury
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