SIGN NOW: CBS News must stand up for free speech – and NOT embolden Trump with a hefty check.
John, right now, CBS News is preparing to settle Trump’s baseless $10 billion lawsuit against them. [1] I need your help to speak out and protect our free press.
Legal experts called Trump’s lawsuit “frivolous” and “ridiculous junk” from the beginning, because there’s no evidence CBS did anything wrong. [2]
But now, CBS and its parent company Paramount are caving, preparing to cut Trump a check to win his administration’s approval on a multibillion-dollar media merger they’re trying to push through.
This should set off alarm bells for every American who believes in a free press. If a major news network is willing to abandon free speech and pay off Trump to protect their bottom line, what else will they do to stay on his good side?
Join me to tell CBS and Paramount: Media companies have an obligation to stand up for free speech and protect their journalists' right to deliver the facts. CBS and Paramount must fulfill their democratic duty – and NOT cave to Trump.
President Trump sued CBS News for a ridiculous $10 billion last year because he didn’t like their 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. [1] Trump’s case against CBS was weak at best – but this isn’t just about one lawsuit.
Trump has sued dozens of other news outlets and media companies in recent years, and more and more, they are caving to his demands – with ABC and Meta recently handing Trump millions of dollars in settlements. [1]
John, these attacks are straight out of the authoritarian playbook. A free, independent media is a First Amendment guarantee that’s essential to democracy – helping expose corruption, hold leaders accountable, and inform the public.
But Trump is flipping this guarantee on its head and setting a dangerous precedent – one where the wealthy can weaponize lawsuits to silence journalists, and media companies won’t stand up for them.
If CBS and Paramount move forward with this settlement, they’ll be sending a clear message: they care more about building a media monopoly than protecting their own journalists and upholding the freedom of the press.
If you agree that our media should be holding the powerful accountable – not bowing to them – join me in urging CBS/Paramount not to cave to Trump >>
Thanks for all you do,
Ishan Mehta, Director of Media & Democracy
and the team at Common Cause
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/business/media/paramount-trump-cbs-news-settlement.html
[2] https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/messages/1738331816231c97237d18a36/raw
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