Statement on Pulled 60 Minutes Story
Reports that last night 60 Minutes pulled a rigorously investigated story about the Trump Administration are beyond concerning.
This is yet another example of the silencing effect created by an administration that is happy to exchange favorable regulatory outcomes for favorable news coverage — which is not only corrupt, but also an attack on our First Amendment rights.
Since Skydance bought Paramount (the owner of CBS, which produces 60 Minutes) with Trump Administration approval earlier this year, it has:
Installed a “bias monitor,” a position it filled with a former Trump administration nominee;
Settled a meritless lawsuit Trump brought against “60 Minutes” that attacked standard editorial decisions made in the newsroom;
Fired Stephen Colbert after he criticized the company for settling that lawsuit;
Promoted Bari Weiss, a right-leaning opinion writer with no broadcast journalism experience, to Editor-in-Chief of CBS News.
This leads us to ask one question: Is Paramount, once again, kowtowing to appease the president, as its owner seeks administration approval to further expand his media empire with a hostile takeover of Warner Brothers Discovery?
Make no mistake about it: This is a sign, a flashing red light, warning us that political power and corporate power are working together at the expense of the First Amendment.
Each little chip away at our First Amendment rights — including exerting influence over our independent press — puts our democracy and our freedom further at risk.
