The Journal. Will Paramount Settle With Trump?
30 snips
Feb 27, 2025 
In this discussion, Jessica Toonkel, a WSJ reporter who covers media and politics, unpacks the high-stakes collision between President Trump's $20 billion lawsuit against CBS and Paramount's merger plans with Skydance Media. She sheds light on the potential risks for media independence and how Trump's conflicts might reshape newsroom practices. The implications of negotiations for both the merger and the lawsuit create a tense backdrop of legal battles and power dynamics within the media landscape.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Trump's Lawsuit
- Trump sued CBS for $10 billion after a Kamala Harris interview aired.
- He claimed deceptively edited Face the Nation promotions differed from the full 60 Minutes interview.
Media Independence Concerns
- News outlets settling with Trump post-election raises concerns about media independence.
- CBS faces a dilemma: years of litigation or setting a precedent by settling.
Merger Complications
- Paramount's $8 billion merger with Skydance needs FCC approval, but bias concerns at CBS News are causing delays.
- The FCC's focus on bias during a merger review seems unusual.