Trump has a victory in his war against ’60 minutes’
You may have heard that Bill Owens, the executive producer of “60 minutes”, resigned from what he said was the loss of freedom to make independent decisions. But there are elements of the story that the general public does not know.
Let’s first come out one thing from the road. “Resignation” is simply a polite way to say that it has been pushed outside the door – to calm the way to sell the parent company CBS, Paramount Global, to Media Skydance.
If the deal continues, the Shari Redstone, the controlled contributor to Paramount, will earn a lot of money-and according to news reports, it is keen to obtain the approval of the Trump administration to sell billions of dollars.
The sale needs the approval of the Federal Communications Committee, the Trump administration arm. President Trump, in a moderate phrase, is not a fan of “60 minutes”.
On his way out, Owens sent a note to “60 minutes” employees in which he said, “Over the past months, it has also become clear that I will not be allowed to manage the show as I always manage it. To make independent decisions based on what was appropriate for” 60 minutes “.
It is not easy to run a news program when you are under pressure from your mother company and the American president at the same time.
I was a 28 -year -old reporter in CBS News. I did not know Owens, but I knew the only executive producers of “60 minutes” in its history – one of which was considered a good friend.
What I learned during those years – but the general public does not know – that during his long working period in CBS (was on the air since 1968), the show was at the intersection before. Several disputes took place in some playing in the press, but some have never received any publicity. Even many people in the company in CBS News did not know anything about what was going on in “60 minutes”-or on how to settle some conflicts.
But this is every serious journalist who teaches him: You cannot make an offer like “60 minutes” – a news program that can be achieved in the powerful people and institutions – without getting a reaction.
Over the years, “60 minutes” managed to overcome various storms. This time it differs. The exhibition finds itself trying to survive a “ideal storm” – exposed to pressure, as I say, from both its ownership of its companies and Trump, who can make sure of the chairman of his Federal Trade Committee in the SKYDANCE acquisition on any number of questionable foundations.
Trump has previously made the media, but “60 minutes” was a special goal. About 15 years ago, I was in Scotland with Trump to do a story about the proposed golf course, which was shot by memorization specialists. Before we start, from the blue color, put in Dan instead of a “60 -minute” story he did not like. In 2020, Trump summarized an interview with Leslie Stall because he did not like the questions she was asking him.
Last year, a lawsuit against CBS was filed for $ 10 billion before double the amount of $ 20 billion, claiming that “60 minutes” had an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris to help her and harm Trump. The program also called on Trump to conduct an interview in advance, but he rejected the show.
“60 minutes” denies the accusation that was deceptive with Harris or that the show was out to get Trump.
Personally, I think the show may have done a better work in editing Harris on a question about the war in Gaza. They did not use her “power” responses and they crossed a part of her more logical answer. The correspondent Harris did not challenge her illogical first answer. However, as much as I am anxious, none of this rises to the level of deceptive liberation that aims to try to help Harris and harm Trump.
Legal experts have called on Trump’s unfounded lawsuit. I think they are right. However, we were told to excess CBS in Paramount in negotiations to settle the case with Trump.
Why do they do this if the lawsuit is trivial, if this is just another example of Trump’s attempt to play any criticism aimed at? This is a man, after all, which includes the way he works two main elements: intimidation and revenge. If the intimidation fails to put an early end of criticism, it moves to revenge, even with his imagined enemy.
In this regard, this enemy is “60 minutes”. Trump recently went after two stories “60 minutes”, one for Ukraine, and the other for Greenland. The stories have offended him to the extent that he wrote on his social media platform, “CBS is out of control, at unprecedented levels, and they have to pay a great price for this.”
As the Washington Post explained that, “Paramount Global is seeking to merge with Skydance Media and is awaiting approval from Thefcc. With the proposed deal stops, CBS staff is increasingly concerned about that [Shari] Two people said to the events.
It is a “everything that requires it” that is very concerned by journalists. They believe that the settlement – even an apology is not sincere – will win the surrender to Trump. The surrender will destroy the reputation not only from “60 minutes” but from the CBS News itself, the long home of Walter Cronkite, Mike Wallace and many first -class journalists.
So all this leads to a question, something else has not generated a lot of attention or curiosity in the media: How will it look “60 minutes” if the sale to Skydance has passed – and Trump is still present to pressure the new owners to make sure that the program is not reported on it?
You can provide a condition that the future of “60 minutes” does not seem good, and that it may turn into a version of other fake network magazine shows, focusing on soft stories that do not make waves, the type of stories that may make big companies happy.
But the end of the news program will be the most important on TV.
Bernard Goldberg He is Amy, a prize writer and journalist at Alfred Dibont University. He is author of five books and publishes exclusive weekly columns, audio comments and Q&S on Substack page. Follow it Bernardgoberg.
