Veteran journalist Scott Pelley has voiced serious concerns over the potential settlement between CBS and Donald Trump, suggesting that it could severely damage the reputation of CBS and Paramount Global. During a post-show discussion on CNN following the broadcast of Good Night, And Good Luck, Pelley addressed the broader implications of the lawsuit and the state of journalism in the United States.
The lawsuit, filed by Trump under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, seeks $20 billion in damages over the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. Legal experts have largely dismissed the case as baseless. However, the potential settlement, particularly one involving an apology, has alarmed many within the media industry.
“It will be very damaging to CBS, to Paramount, to the reputation of those companies,” said Pelley. “Many of the law firms involved may already regret their actions. This is not their finest hour.”
Pelley expressed disappointment that CBS has not publicly defended its journalism division more strongly. Despite that, he acknowledged that editorial freedom at 60 Minutes has mostly remained intact.
“My work is still getting on the air,” he said. “No one has told me what to say or how to edit. But yes, I would like to see stronger public support.”
The matter took another turn when Bill Owens, the executive producer of 60 Minutes, resigned in April. Owens reportedly felt that corporate interference had eroded the editorial independence the show was known for. According to Pelley, Owens “didn’t work for Paramount; he worked for the viewers.”
The CBS-Trump dispute comes at a time when Paramount Global is seeking government approval for its proposed merger with Skydance, adding further complexity to the legal and political landscape.
During the CNN discussion, anchor Anderson Cooper drew comparisons to Edward R. Murrow, who famously confronted Joe McCarthy during the Red Scare. Pelley suggested that Murrow would be deeply troubled by the current climate.
“He would be waiting to see how the corporation handles this and whether it chooses to fight,” Pelley remarked. “I know where Ed would stand. He would fight.”
In a related topic, Pelley also defended a recent commencement speech at Wake Forest University, where he warned of growing threats to freedom of speech, the rule of law, journalism, and academic institutions.
“An insidious fear is reaching through our schools, our businesses, our homes and into our private thoughts,” Pelley said during the speech. “The fear to speak. In America?”
His comments were met with criticism from MAGA commentators, but Pelley remains unapologetic.
“What does it say about our country when a speech about freedom of speech causes hysteria?” he asked. “We must not walk in fear of one another.”
He noted how difficult it has become to get individuals to speak openly about Trump on camera.
“They do not want to stick their head up over the foxhole,” he explained. “People are silencing themselves out of fear of government retaliation, and that’s not the America we all love.”
As the CBS lawsuit continues to unfold, Pelley’s remarks underline the stakes not just for a media company, but for the core democratic values of transparency, independence, and the right to speak freely. Whether Paramount will uphold those values remains to be seen.
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