Paramount and President Trump are poised to begin mediation in his $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News, according to two people with knowledge of the decision, the latest development in a high-stakes legal battle involving one of America’s major news networks.
The two sides picked a mediator for the case in recent days, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the legal proceedings are confidential.
Though a mediator, which is required by the court, will try to help the sides reach a settlement, there is no guarantee that an agreement will be reached.
A deal would be a remarkable concession by a major U.S. media company to a politician, especially in a case in which there is no evidence that the network got facts wrong or damaged the plaintiff’s reputation. Mr. Trump claims that “60 Minutes” deceptively edited an interview last fall with former Vice President Kamala Harris, his opponent in the presidential election campaign. The network says the editing is protected by the First Amendment.
The two sides started talking about a possible settlement over two months ago. The prospect of a deal has rankled some employees of “60 Minutes,” who believe it would be an indelible stain on the reputation of CBS News. Bill Owens, the long-tenured executive producer for “60 Minutes,” said in a staff meeting in February that he would not apologize as part of any prospective settlement.
But some at the company have a different opinion. In their view, Paramount’s broader corporate interests are not served by fighting a protracted legal battle with a U.S. president who has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to use the power of his office to harm companies that fall out of favor with the White House. Last month, lawyers for CBS News filed a motion to dismiss Mr. Trump’s suit.
A spokesman for Paramount declined to comment. Ed Paltzik, a lawyer representing Mr. Trump in the case, said in a statement: “President Trump will pursue this vital matter to its just and rightful conclusion.”
Mr. Trump sued CBS News last year, saying the edits of the interview with Ms. Harris misled viewers and harmed his campaign. CBS News has denied those claims, saying the broadcast “was not doctored or deceitful.”
In February, the Federal Communications Commission released a full transcript of the interview. According to the transcript, Ms. Harris gave a lengthy answer to a question about Israel’s prime minister. A portion of that answer was aired in a preview of the interview on “Face the Nation,” a CBS show on Sundays. A shorter part of the answer aired the next day in an episode of “60 Minutes.”
It is common practice for news organizations to include an excerpt from a full interview in news articles or TV broadcasts for the sake of concision.
While lawyers for CBS News and Mr. Trump file dueling legal briefs, the company is inching toward a merger with Skydance, an upstart Hollywood studio backed by the tech billionaire Larry Ellison. Some executives at Paramount believe that settling the case with Mr. Trump would help grease the wheels for that merger, which is awaiting approval from the F.C.C.
Mr. Trump said in February that Paramount’s merger with Skydance was unrelated to his lawsuit, and a spokesman for the company has said the two are “completely separate.”
Shari Redstone, Paramount’s controlling shareholder, said in a meeting of Paramount’s board of directors in February that she was in favor of moving forward in a way that would lead to some form of conclusion, including mediation.
David Enrich contributed reporting.
