Bought, Bullied, and Beaten: How Trump Is Crushing the Free Press
CBS and ABC’s settlements aren’t just payouts—they’re a warning that journalism is for sale, and truth is under attack.
In America, the press has long stood as a pillar of democracy, a watchdog against corruption, a check on power. But today, that pillar is crumbling, not because of outright government censorship but because of corporate cowardice. Faced with a barrage of lawsuits from former President Donald Trump, some of the most influential media companies in the country—CBS, ABC, and others—are waving the white flag. They are choosing to settle, handing Trump multi-million-dollar payouts rather than defending the First Amendment in court.
This is not just a business decision. This is an assault on the very foundation of a free press, and it has chilling consequences for the future of journalism in America.
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Trump’s War on the Media
Trump’s animosity toward the press is nothing new. He built his political career on attacking journalists, calling them “the enemy of the people” and branding any unfavorable coverage as “fake news.” But what once seemed like rhetoric has transformed into something far more dangerous: a sustained legal and regulatory assault on journalism itself.
The latest front in this war is Trump’s lawsuit against CBS over its 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump claims that CBS deceptively edited Harris’s responses to make her appear more polished and presidential (New York Post).
But here’s the kicker. He was offered an interview, too. He declined. He had the opportunity to sit across from the same journalist to have his responses edited and framed in the same way, but he walked away.
Yet CBS is now considering a massive settlement, not because it did anything illegal but because fighting the lawsuit might be costly.
The Dangerous Precedent of Capitulation
When ABC News paid $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit over comments made about Trump, it sent a dangerous message: journalism is for sale, and truth is negotiable. Now, CBS may follow suit, with Paramount Global reportedly considering a nine-figure payout to resolve the lawsuit.
Legal scholars are sounding the alarm. The Supreme Court’s landmark New York Times Co. v. Sullivan ruling set a high bar for defamation cases involving public figures—they must prove “actual malice,” meaning the falsehood was knowingly or recklessly spread. CBS and ABC’s settlements ignore this precedent, effectively sidestepping one of American history's most essential protections for press freedom.
What stops other powerful figures from launching frivolous lawsuits to silence critical reporting if these settlements become the norm? What prevents a president, Trump or anyone else, from financially crippling the press into submission?
Self-Censorship and the Slow Death of Press Freedom
The press doesn’t die overnight. It dies when networks, fearing litigation, start pulling punches. When investigative journalists avoid tough stories to protect their corporate bottom line. When the media is too afraid to challenge power because the cost is too high (The Guardian).
And that is precisely the world we are sliding toward.
This is not just about CBS, ABC, or Trump. It is about whether the press still has the backbone to hold the powerful accountable. Right now, the answer looks grim. In the meantime, independent journalists are finding new venues to share the truth. Join us.
Bibliography:
New York Post – Trump sues CBS News for $10B, alleging deceptive doctoring of Harris ‘60 Minutes’ interview
https://nypost.com/2024/10/31/us-news/trump-sues-cbs-news-for-10b-alleging-deceptive-doctoring-of-harris-60-minutes-interview/
The Hill – Trump cancels 60 Minutes interview, demands CBS apology for 2020 treatment
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4920827-60-minutes-trump-cancel/
Wall Street Journal – Paramount executives ask: Could they be sued for settling Trump’s $20B CBS lawsuit?
https://www.wsj.com/business/media/paramount-executives-ask-could-they-be-sued-for-settling-trumps-20-billion-cbs-lawsuit-228604a2
Financial Times – ‘Libel warfare’: ABC’s payout to Donald Trump sends a chill across US media
https://www.ft.com/content/130ad58d-4b26-4a5d-86da-17a17de19709
Gateway Journalism Review – Media corporations surrender legal protections to Trump, setting dangerous precedent
https://gatewayjr.org/media-corporations-surrender-legal-protections-to-trump/
The Guardian – Trump called the press ‘the enemy of the people.’ Now it’s time to defend ourselves
What free press? Right wing Oligarchs own every single news outlet in the country. This is Nazism plain and simple. If you could go back in time and stop Hitler wouldn’t you? Then why in the f^€k isn’t Trump and his cronies behind bars?
The corporate press has never been free.