Donald Trump’s ongoing conflict with the media is no longer just a political strategy. It’s turning into a full-scale battle that’s shifting the structure of American journalism. From lawsuits to backroom deals, the former president is using every tool at his disposal to intimidate and reshape the press. And worryingly for critics, it seems to be working.
Senator Bernie Sanders has been vocal in his opposition. He accused Trump of undermining democracy and shifting the country toward authoritarianism. His latest frustration comes after a settlement between Trump and CBS News’s parent company, Paramount. The company agreed to donate $16 million to Trump’s presidential library. This payment ended a legal dispute over the editing of a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Trump alleged bias, although no solid evidence supported his claim.
Media experts saw the editing as normal practice, not proof of political slant. So why settle? The answer may lie in business interests. The Redstone family, who control Paramount, are hoping to sell the company to Skydance for $8 billion. The deal needs approval from Trump-appointed regulators. Critics argue the payout could be seen as a way to win favor.
This settlement has stirred fears that Trump is pushing boundaries by trying to make the government act as the media’s editor. Legal expert Bob Corn-Revere said Paramount’s decision opens the door for increased political interference in journalism. Sanders warned it could encourage Trump to further attack and silence the press.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Six months earlier, Disney paid Trump another $16 million to settle a similar claim related to ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos. Trump had objected to how Stephanopoulos described his legal case involving writer E. Jean Carroll.
Trump has also gone after smaller outlets. He sued an Iowa pollster and the Des Moines Register for a poll he didn’t like. He’s also threatened CNN over its report on an app that alerts users about immigration raids. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the administration is working with the Justice Department to explore legal action against the network. She accused CNN of encouraging people to avoid law enforcement.
Trump has publicly labeled CNN, MSNBC, and The New York Times as “scum.” While harsh words from Trump are not new, the use of lawsuits and regulatory pressure marks a more dangerous shift. Instead of resisting, many media companies appear to be caving in.
Billionaire media owners like Jeff Bezos of The Washington Post and Patrick Soon-Shiong of the Los Angeles Times are drawing criticism for softening their outlets’ stance toward Trump. Opinion sections that once sharply criticized Trump are becoming more neutral or even supportive.
Experts believe this marks a turning point. Media professor Bob Thompson said that what would once have been seen as scandalous behavior is now common. Trump’s strategy seems twofold: attack the media publicly, and pressure them privately using legal and business levers.
Clayton Weimers of Reporters Without Borders said the media industry now faces a split. Some outlets are defending press freedom. Others, he warned, are bowing to Trump’s demands. Jameel Jaffer of the Knight First Amendment Institute called the settlements more like surrender than compromise.
The pressure may go even deeper. Brendan Carr, head of the Federal Communications Commission and a Trump pick, said the “60 Minutes” case could impact the Paramount-Skydance merger decision. Critics, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, say this could be seen as bribery and a threat to the independence of journalism. She has called for an investigation.
Trump’s battle has even reached the Associated Press. After it refused to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” – a change ordered by Trump – the AP was banned from the White House. In its place, Trump has given access to smaller outlets with no history of balanced reporting.
This comes at a time when US journalism is already struggling. Local newspapers are closing. Digital news outlets like BuzzFeed, HuffPost, and Vice News are shrinking. Big networks such as CNN and MSNBC are under financial pressure. Meanwhile, Fox News, which backs Trump, continues to grow.
Experts say much of the blame lies in how media companies are structured. They are often just parts of larger businesses focused more on profit than public service. As media professor Bob Thompson put it, when corporate interests outweigh journalistic values, press freedom suffers.
Trump’s media war isn’t happening in a vacuum. It’s pushing journalism toward collapse at a time when it’s already dangerously close to the edge.
