In his return to the CBS “Late Show” following a vacation, host Stephen Colbert criticized the parent company Paramount Global’s handling of President Trump’s lawsuit settlement over a “60 Minutes” story. Colbert labeled the settlement as a “big fat bribe” during his show, echoing similar sentiments expressed by “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart a week earlier. Both late-night hosts, employed by Paramount-owned networks, have been outspoken critics of the $16 million settlement announced on July 1. Colbert suggested that the settlement, aimed at resolving Trump’s lawsuit related to the editing of an interview with Kamala Harris, was potentially linked to Paramount’s sale to Skydance Media. This move has raised concerns about the integrity of journalistic standards at CBS and Comedy Central.
Stewart also denounced the settlement as “shameful” on his show, raising questions about the impact on the journalistic integrity of the network. Speculations about potential job cuts for the comedians by Skydance boss David Ellison, in a bid to win favor with the Trump administration, have surfaced. Notably, Colbert, a prominent Trump critic and the top-rated late-night host, has faced criticism from Trump himself. The tensions between the two sides have been well-documented, with Trump previously referring to Colbert as a “complete and total loser.”
Despite the controversy surrounding the settlement, Colbert and Stewart both received Emmy nominations this week for their talk series. Their critical stance towards Trump, along with Jimmy Kimmel’s on ABC, has garnered recognition. CBS News journalists have largely remained silent on the issue, with top executives Wendy McMahon and Bill Owens departing prior to the settlement announcement. Questions about the network’s credibility in holding power to account after a multi-million dollar settlement remain unanswered. Ultimately, the impact of these events on the trust of the audience and the future of journalism at CBS continues to be a subject of debate.
“Who can we trust? The audience will make that determination. Our responsibility is to be present to acknowledge what we observe on behalf of the public.”___David Bauder covers the connection between media and entertainment for the AP. Stay updated by following him on http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.
