Why is the media paying millions to Trump?

Jul 11, 2025, 4:00 AM26 min

Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian US columnist Margaret Sullivan about why critics are worried about the million-dollar settlements between media organisations and the president and what they mean for the future of the free press

Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS News, settled a lawsuit filed against it by Donald Trump for $16m last week. It came after Disney and Meta settled lawsuits with the president in similar ways. Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian US columnist Margaret Sullivan about why these companies are caving to Trump’s demands, and whether critics are right to be worried about what this means for the future of a free press