CBS News and 60 Minutes have long been viewed as pillars of American journalism. Their reputations were built on fearless reporting, aggressive storytelling, and a commitment to getting the facts right. But in settling a $16 million lawsuit brought by Donald Trump — without going to trial — the network has done serious damage to itself both externally with its audience and internally with its own newsroom.
The decision to pay Trump rather than defend its reporting in court isn’t just a business call. It’s a blow to the perception that CBS stands behind its journalists.
Now, the network must repair trust on two fronts: with viewers and with its staff.
How to Repair the Relationship With Both Conservative and Liberal Viewers
For decades, both CBS News and 60 Minutes have prided themselves on their investigative rigor and commitment to truth. But their recent $16 million settlement with Donald Trump should serve as a wake-up call. This isn’t just a legal loss — it’s a credibility crisis.
The optics — to both sides — are damning. To many viewers, the payout suggests CBS News admitted fault. Despite the fact that the network was adamant that it did not admit to any wrongdoing and will not apologize for its editing of the interview with Kamala Harris last year. But right or wrong, that perception now lives in the public consciousness. And in today’s media landscape, perception is reality.
To the other side, you look weak. You appear as if you bent the knee to the almighty god-emporer Donald Trump. And if perception is reality, you will have difficulty regaining that credibility.
Here’s the hard truth going forward: 60 Minutes doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt anymore.
In decades past, the show was a Sunday night staple. It was where Americans went for serious journalism, conducted by serious people. But in the polarized world of 2025, the days of being a universally respected institution are over.
Here’s the likely playbook going forward: CBS doesn’t need to reveal legal strategies, but they must speak directly to the audience. Explain what happened. Lay out what changes are being made. Rebuilding trust starts with admitting when things went wrong.
Second, the network must re-evaluate its editorial process. 60 Minutes thrives on exclusive access and compelling storytelling. But the temptation to tell the “most dramatic version” of a story can lead journalists into dangerous territory. It’s easy to push boundaries in pursuit of ratings. It’s harder to stay grounded in facts that are legally and ethically bulletproof.
Furthermore, it’s time to stop pretending the media isn’t part of the political story. Viewers aren’t dumb. They know CBS News and other networks have biases, even if journalists refuse to admit them. Instead of denying those leanings, CBS should strive for fairness, even if it’s not popular.
There’s also a business lesson here. Settlements like this one cost more than money. Advertisers grow uneasy. Shareholders worry. The next time CBS News pitches a controversial story, someone in a boardroom who only cares about the numbers being black at the end of the month, quarter, and year will ask: “Is this worth another $16 million?”
And that sucks.
Risk is always going to exist. CBS News, with its deep resources and global reach, is still capable of great work. So is 60 Minutes. But their next chapter has to be defined by humility, not hubris. The only thing worse than losing $16 million in a lawsuit is losing the audience’s trust forever.
Going forward, CBS must ask itself a simple question: Are we in the business of informing the public or influencing it? If the answer is the former, it’s time to act like it.
The road back to credibility won’t be fast. But it is possible.
CBS News and 60 Minutes Need Damage Control Internally
When the heat gets turned up, you’re on your own.
That’s the message parent company Paramount Global told CBS News and 60 Minutes with its settlement.
The lawsuit centered on a 60 Minutes segment that Trump claimed was defamatory. Whether or not the legal case was winnable, we may never know. But that’s not even the most important part. What matters now is that CBS blinked. They didn’t stand by their team.
This is the nightmare scenario for anyone working in journalism today: make one mistake — and many at CBS News and 60 Minutes would tell you it wasn’t a mistake — and then watch your employer fold when pressure comes from someone rich and powerful.
The Trump settlement reveals an uncomfortable truth: when money, politics, or public relations get involved, even the biggest names in media will abandon their own people.
Every story is a risk. Not just to your reputation, but to your employment, your legal exposure, and your future.
What else does the settlement tell you if you work inside the walls of the venerable news organization? That when things get uncomfortable, CBS News may not go to bat for you.
That’s a dangerous precedent. Because if reporters don’t feel supported, they’ll stop doing bold work. Let’s not pretend this is limited to one network. This is a problem across the industry.
In boardrooms, media executives are more focused on litigation risk and brand image than defending the work of their journalists.
Reporters don’t want to chase stories that might get them sued, even if those stories are true. Producers don’t want to book guests who could bring legal headaches. What you end up with is sanitized journalism. Surface-level stories. Softball interviews.
CBS News and 60 Minutes built their reputations by doing the opposite. That courage costs money. It sometimes costs advertisers. But it’s the price you pay.
Settling with Donald Trump might have made the legal department happy, but it will demoralize the newsroom. Because now everyone who works there knows: there’s a line where the bosses stop fighting for you.
It’s not always clear where that line is. And that uncertainty is corrosive.
Let’s also be honest: this makes future reporting on Trump even harder. Not because journalists are afraid of him, but because they’re unsure if CBS — or CNN, The New York Times, ABC News, or any other organization that has the audacity to run afoul of the President’s good graces — is willing to take another punch.
If they aren’t, then every Trump-related segment becomes a legal and editorial landmine.
Do mistakes happen? Yes. Should media outlets be held accountable in those instances? Absolutely. But if the story is accurate, then stand firm. Don’t hand out settlements just to make a story disappear.
Because once you do that, your employees will never look at you the same way again.
The settlement with Donald Trump should spark conversations inside every media company. Not about risk management, but about loyalty. Not about damage control, but about defending your people. If you don’t trust the people inside your organization to produce fair, accurate, well-balanced, fact-based stories, then why are they there in the first place?
CBS News says it’s committed to truth. Prove it. Make it clear to every journalist at 60 Minutes and beyond: We will defend your work. And we will not cave under pressure from politicians, billionaires, or social media mobs.
If that’s not your stance, don’t expect your employees to give you their best work. Because in this business, courage is contagious. But so is cowardice.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
