CBS News in distress amid Trump’s pressure campaign: ‘There’s a lot of fear’

Sometimes the arguments could be heard well down the hall.

The topic was “60 Minutes,” and the tension was audible. CBS News chief Wendy McMahon was clashing with her bosses over upcoming stories on the newsmagazine — in part because President Trump’s legally dubious lawsuit against CBS meant that billions of dollars were at risk.

“Wendy was standing up for us,” a veteran CBS journalist said. “There’s a lot of fear about what happens with her gone now.”

While CBS journalists are doing their jobs and covering the Trump administration assertively, Paramount lawyers are trying to strike a settlement with Trump, perhaps believing that such a deal will help secure the administration’s approval of a pending merger.

With the Trump tug-of-war on everyone’s minds, getting and keeping “60 Minutes” on the air this spring was a week-by-week challenge, according to people at the network.

McMahon repeatedly defended the program in conversations with Paramount Global co-CEO George Cheeks, who himself was under pressure from controlling shareholder Shari Redstone.

While some of the internal battles have been previously reported, five sources who spoke with CNN on condition of anonymity said the fights were much more fraught than the viewing public realizes.

There was one hint about it on-air, last month, after “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens resigned, citing a loss of independence. “No one here is happy about it,” correspondent Scott Pelley said of the interference Owens had sensed.

The alleged corporate meddling began several months earlier. One of the disputes was over CBS News coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. Redstone, a strong supporter of Israel and Jewish causes, lodged objections over what she sensed was biased coverage of the conflict.

For a newsmagazine like “60 Minutes” with a long, proud tradition of independence, Redstone’s involvement was deeply troubling.

One of her chief complaints was about a January “60 Minutes” segment that highlighted America’s support for Israel’s bombing of Gaza.

McMahon mediated the conflict over that report, as well as multiple disputes over “60 Minutes” reports about Trump’s return to office and the impact of his administration’s policy changes.