Washington, July 2(HS): Paramount Global announced it will pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit initiated by President Donald Trump concerning CBS's 60 Minutes. The lawsuit alleged that the show deceptively edited an interview with then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris, thereby misleading U.S. voters. Despite opinions from legal experts suggesting Trump's case was weak, Paramount opted for the settlement, believing it could enhance the company's prospects and facilitate an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, although it poses risks to the CBS brand.

The allegations stemmed from a special 60 Minutes segment aired before the 2024 election, where Trump claimed the editing misrepresented Harris's comments. The lawsuit, filed in November 2024, included U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson as co-plaintiff and sought damages as high as $20 billion. Paramount maintained its stance that it acted within First Amendment rights and had no intention of apologizing, a decision expected to evoke backlash from its news staff.

Regardless of the settlement terms, no direct payments will be made to Trump; instead, funds will support his presidential library. The agreement mandates future transcripts of interviews with presidential candidates, subject to certain redactions. Critics, including some Democratic senators, have labeled the payment potentially illegal; yet it remains improbable that such charges would be pursued by the Justice Department.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar