A $10 billion loss be a significant blow to CBS. The AP reports:
CBS’ “60 Minutes” posted online Wednesday the unedited transcripts of its October interview with Kamala Harris that sparked a lawsuit by Donald Trump, saying that they proved its broadcast was not “doctored or deceitful.”
That’s what Trump contended in a $10 billion lawsuit he filed against the network in November, reportedly the subject of ongoing settlement talks.
In his lawsuit, filed before Trump won election to his second term, the Republican contended the editing was done to give advantage to Harris, his Democratic opponent.
Yet CBS said that the material it was releasing on Wednesday show “consistent with ”60 Minutes’” repeated assurances to the public, that the “60 Minutes” broadcast was not doctored or deceitful,” CBS said in a statement.
I asked Perplexity to analyze the situation:
Q: Locate and analyze the unedited CBS transcript of the Kamala Harris interview that Trump is suing CBS over, as described in this article https://apnews.com/article/trump-60-minutes-harris-lawsuit-514b0ccbc4a4f120e4db810c6a00e259 . Did CBS alter the aired interview to favor Harris?A: Conclusion:Based on the analysis of the unedited transcript and the statements from CBS News: CBS did not alter the aired interview to favor Harris in a misleading manner. The network edited the interview for time constraints, which is a common practice in broadcast journalism. The aired segments, while different, were both from the same response to the same question, and they did not change the substance of Harris's answers 1 2 4.
The controversy seems to stem from the choice of which parts of Harris's response were aired, rather than any manipulation of the content itself. Critics, including Trump, argued that the editing was done to shield Harris from criticism, but CBS has consistently denied these allegations, asserting that the editing was done in line with journalistic standards 1 2 4.The release of the unedited transcript and video by both CBS and the FCC has provided transparency, allowing the public to assess the interview's content and the network's editing practices.
DJT's vicious attacks on the MSM are grounded in hate and revenge, not on any solid legal basis. Nonetheless, CBS probably stands to win far more by losing in a settlement and paying DJT, than in winning in court and facing the relentless, lawless wrath of DJT, MAGA and the US Department of Justice.
I think that for the MSM, this is the new normal. We're royally screwed.
