CBS News anchor John Dickerson referenced the recent settlement between the network’s parent company Paramount and President Trump as part of his sign-off on the broadcaster’s evening newscast.
“The Paramount settlement poses a new obstacle. Can you hold power to account after paying it millions? Can an audience trust you when it thinks you’ve traded away that trust?” Dickerson asked at the end of Wednesday’s broadcast.
“The audience will decide that. Our job is to show up, to honor what we witness on behalf of the people we witness it for,” the anchor said in comments first highlighted by Mediaite.
Paramount on Wednesday announced it would pay Trump’s future presidential library $16 million and release transcripts of all future interviews with presidential candidates to settle the suit brought by Trump last fall. The move has faced some criticism from lawmakers and others.
The president alleged in his suit the network purposely edited a “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris last fall to make the then-Democratic presidential nominee seem more coherent.
CBS defended its editing in court and public statements, but rumors of a settlement swirled for months as Paramount works to secure a megamerger with entertainment giant Skydance, which will need approval from Trump administration regulators.
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