CBS in turmoil as US media feels pressure under Trump

Concerns are growing about a broader erosion of media independence in the United States. Read more at straitstimes.com.

WASHINGTON - CBS, a mainstay of the broadcast television landscape, has been rattled by editorial changes that insiders fear are tied to US President Donald Trump’s influence, as concerns grow about a broader erosion of media independence in the United States.

Since CBS in mid-2025 became a part of Paramount Skydance, which is headed by Mr Trump ally David Ellison, the network has clashed with its star latenight host Stephen Colbert, and seen a raft of journalists resign.

Mr Colbert recently said the network blocked the broadcast of his interview with Texas Democrat James Talarico, who is running to unseat incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn.

Many CBS News journalists – including top producers of the flagship news magazine “60 Minutes” – have quit while airing complaints of interference in their editorial independence at the company.

“This is yet another troubling example of corporate capitulation in the face of this Administration’s broader campaign to censor and control speech,” broadcast regulator Anna Gomez said in a statement.

Of the three current commissioners at the FCC, the government agency that regulates the airwaves, Ms Gomez is the only one not appointed by Mr Trump.