Latest news with #SethStern
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Freedom of the Press Foundation Weighing Legal Options Against Paramount Over Trump Settlement
The Freedom of the Press Foundation is weighing its legal options against Paramount Global following its $16 million dollar settlement with President Donald Trump after the nonprofit filed a shareholder information demand asking for a litigation hold. 'Today is a dark day for press freedom. Paramount's spineless decision to settle Trump's baseless and patently unconstitutional lawsuit is an insult to the journalists of '60 Minutes' and an invitation to Trump to continue targeting other news outlets,' Seth Stern, director of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation, said in a statement. 'Each time a company cowers and surrenders to Trump's demands it only emboldens him to do it again. It will be remembered as one of the most shameful capitulations by the press to a president in history.' More from TheWrap Freedom of the Press Foundation Weighing Legal Options Against Paramount Over Trump Settlement Actor Keith David Shares Tearful Reaction to Getting a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star: 'Blessed' | Video 50 Cent, Aubrey O'Day, Rosie O'Donnell and More React to Split Diddy Verdict: 'I'm Gonna Vomit' Freevee's Standalone App to Shutter in August FPF, a press freedom advocacy group, already filed a shareholder information demand back in May and said Wednesday it's exploring further legal action to hold Paramount's board accountable for what it sees as a capitulation to Trump that violates shareholders' interests and the First Amendment. The organization itself is a shareholder. The FPF called out the settlement as a conflict of interest and said it was 'intended to clear the way for federal approval' in the sale of Paramount to Skydance Media which would also 'result in a multimillion-dollar payout to Paramount Chair Shari Redstone.' The nonprofit already filed a shareholder information demand to Redstone and announced Wednesday they are sending a second demand to uncover information regarding the decision. Based on the information, the FPF 'will continue to pursue our legal options to stop this affront to Paramount shareholders, CBS journalists and the First Amendment.' The initial filing called the lawsuit 'frivolous' and notified Paramount of its intention to take legal action in the event of a settlement with Trump. Many have called the settlement problematic with three U.S. senators (Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Ron Wyden) launching an investigation into whether paying off Trump through a settlement to obtain approval of the sale would violate federal bribery and other laws. The California Senate opened a similar investigation. 'With Paramount folding to Donald Trump at the same time the company needs his administration's approval for its billion-dollar merger, this could be bribery in plain sight,' Warren said in a Wednesday statement to TheWrap. 'Paramount has refused to provide answers to a congressional inquiry, so I'm calling for a full investigation into whether or not any anti-bribery laws were broken.'The settlement with Trump covers legal fees and other costs, as well as a donation that will be allocated to a 'future presidential library.' Paramount also said that 'in the future, '60 Minutes' will release transcripts of interviews with eligible U.S. presidential candidates after such interviews have aired, subject to redactions as required for legal or national security concerns.' Notably, the settlement does not include any statement of apology or regret from CBS or '60 Minutes.' Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks addressed the settlement in a shareholder call early Wednesday morning and said the decision allows the company to focus on 'core objectives, rather than being mired in uncertainty and distraction.' Trump initially sued CBS and '60 Minutes' for $20 billion, claiming that an Oct.7 interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris was deceptively edited and caused him 'mental anguish.' Trump's legal team called the settlement a 'win for the American people.''With this record settlement, President Donald J. Trump delivers another win for the American people as he, once again, holds the Fake News media accountable for their wrongdoing and deceit,' a spokesperson for Trump's legal team said in a statement. 'CBS and Paramount Global realized the strength of this historic case and had no choice but to settle.' Paramount did not immediately respond to TheWrap's request for comment. The post Freedom of the Press Foundation Weighing Legal Options Against Paramount Over Trump Settlement appeared first on TheWrap.
New York Times
02-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
For ‘60 Minutes,' a Humbling Moment at an Uneasy Time for Press Freedom
For many veteran correspondents at '60 Minutes,' paying even $1 to settle a left-field lawsuit from an aggrieved president seemed too high a price. At stake, they believed, was the long-term credibility of the country's most decorated and most-watched television news program, a journalistic institution since 1968 that prided itself on holding elected leaders to account. Late Tuesday, CBS's parent company, Paramount, concluded differently. It agreed to pay $16 million so President Trump would drop a lawsuit that essentially boiled down to a politician's gripe: that '60 Minutes' had edited an interview with his 2024 opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris, in a manner that he did not like. Many legal experts called Mr. Trump's case frivolous and unwinnable, running counter to long-established First Amendment protections for the American press. On Wednesday, many journalists and First Amendment groups expressed dismay at the outcome. 'Today is a dark day for press freedom,' said Seth Stern, the director of advocacy at the nonprofit Freedom of the Press Foundation. He called Paramount's decision 'spineless' and 'an invitation' for the president to target other news outlets. Two Democratic senators, Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden, referred to the settlement as a bribe and called for an investigation and possible criminal charges. But Paramount's leader, Shari Redstone, viewed the situation differently and encouraged her board to explore a settlement. She was in the midst of a multibillion-dollar deal to sell Paramount to a Hollywood studio, Skydance, and the Trump administration needed to sign off. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Freedom of the Press Foundation says it will sue Paramount if it settles with Trump over 60 Minutes lawsuit
The Freedom of the Press Foundation says it intends to sue Paramount if the production company settles with Donald Trump over his 60 Minutes lawsuit. The non-profit organization said that corporations that own news outlets 'should not be in the business' of settling 'baseless lawsuits that clearly violate the First Amendment and put other media outlets at risk.' Trump sued the parent company of CBS News over a primetime election special that aired in October, shortly before the 2024 presidential election. It featured interviews with presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz. The president accused the broadcaster of 'unlawful and illegal behavior' in the way it had edited the interview with Harris. Trump and vice president JD Vance had declined to participate in the program. Interviews are always edited to fit into a program's time limits, as well as for 'teaser clips' to promote an upcoming program. CBS has denied Trump's claim that any part of Harris' interview was 'deceitfully' edited. In a letter addressed to Paramount Global boss Shari Redstone, FPF Director of Advocacy Seth Stern compared a settlement of the 'meritless' lawsuit to a bribe, saying it 'may well be a thinly veiled effort to launder bribes through the court system.' Not only would it 'tank CBS's reputation but, as three U.S. senators recently explained, it could put Paramount executives at risk of breaking the law,' he wrote. 'Our mission as a press freedom organization is to defend the rights of journalists and the public, not the financial interests of corporate higher-ups who turn their backs on them. When you run a news organization, you have the responsibility to protect First Amendment rights, not abandon them to line your own pockets.' He added: 'We hope Paramount will reconsider the dangerous path it appears to be contemplating but, if not, we are prepared to pursue our rights as shareholders. And we hope other Paramount shareholders will join us.' The Independent has contacted Paramount Global for comment on the letter from FPF. The lawsuit threat from the press organization comes after Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and eight Democratic senators wrote their own letter to Redstone earlier this month, in which they urged her not to cave to the president's $20 billion demand. Sanders and the other senators wrote that Trump's complaint was a 'blatant attempt to intimidate the media and those who speak out against him.' The letter was signed by Senators Elizabeth Warren, Peter Welch, Chris Murphy, Ed Markey, Richard Blumenthal, Dick Durbin and Jeff Merkley. Redstone, who has now recused herself from the board's discussion on the case, has long pushed for a settlement in hopes that it will convince the Trump administration to approve Paramount's merger with Skydance. John Cusack, an FPF founding board member, activist and actor, added: 'I'm proud that Freedom of the Press Foundation is doing what CBS's corporate owners won't — standing up for press freedom and against authoritarian shakedowns.' He added: 'People who aren't willing to defend the First Amendment should not be in the news business.' The executive producer of 60 Minutes, Bill Owens, last month quit his job over 'lack of journalistic independence' amid the Trump feud. 'Over the past months, it has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it, to make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience,' Owens told a shocked staff in a memo.
The Independent
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Freedom of the Press Foundation says it will sue Paramount if it settles with Trump over 60 Minutes lawsuit
The Freedom of the Press Foundation says it intends to sue Paramount if the production company settles with Donald Trump over his 60 Minutes lawsuit. The non-profit organization said that corporations that own news outlets 'should not be in the business' of settling 'baseless lawsuits that clearly violate the First Amendment and put other media outlets at risk.' Trump sued the parent company of CBS News over a primetime election special that aired in October, shortly before the 2024 presidential election. It featured interviews with presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz. The president accused the broadcaster of 'unlawful and illegal behavior' in the way it had edited the interview with Harris. Trump and vice president JD Vance had declined to participate in the program. Interviews are typically edited to fit into a program's time limits. CBS later posted the entire interview online for the public to see every minute, with no noticeable surprises. Yet, according to reports, Paramount is considering settling the suit, if only to assuage the president of the United States. In a letter addressed to Paramount Global boss Shari Redstone, FPF Director of Advocacy Seth Stern compared a settlement of the 'meritless' lawsuit to a bribe, saying it 'may well be a thinly veiled effort to launder bribes through the court system.' Not only would it 'tank CBS's reputation but, as three U.S. senators recently explained, it could put Paramount executives at risk of breaking the law,' he wrote. 'Our mission as a press freedom organization is to defend the rights of journalists and the public, not the financial interests of corporate higher-ups who turn their backs on them. When you run a news organization, you have the responsibility to protect First Amendment rights, not abandon them to line your own pockets.' He added: 'We hope Paramount will reconsider the dangerous path it appears to be contemplating but, if not, we are prepared to pursue our rights as shareholders. And we hope other Paramount shareholders will join us.' The Independent has contacted Paramount Global for comment on the letter from FPF. The lawsuit threat from the press organization comes after Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and eight Democratic senators wrote their own letter to Redstone earlier this month, in which they urged her not to cave to the president's $20 billion demand. Sanders and the other senators wrote that Trump's complaint was a 'blatant attempt to intimidate the media and those who speak out against him.' The letter was signed by Senators Elizabeth Warren, Peter Welch, Chris Murphy, Ed Markey, Richard Blumenthal, Dick Durbin and Jeff Merkley. Redstone, who has now recused herself from the board's discussion on the case, has long pushed for a settlement in hopes that it will convince the Trump administration to approve Paramount's merger with Skydance. John Cusack, an FPF founding board member, activist and actor, added: 'I'm proud that Freedom of the Press Foundation is doing what CBS's corporate owners won't — standing up for press freedom and against authoritarian shakedowns.' He added: 'People who aren't willing to defend the First Amendment should not be in the news business.' The executive producer of 60 Minutes, Bill Owens, last month quit his job over ' lack of journalistic independence ' amid the Trump feud. 'Over the past months, it has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it, to make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience,' Owens told a shocked staff in a memo.
