Former Paramount CEO Shari Redstone expressed hopes that President Donald Trump’s long-running legal battle with CBS News might lead to a more balanced media portrayal of the Israel-Hamas conflict. As a prominent supporter of Israel, Redstone criticizedCBS News for what she perceived as unbalanced coverage of the war, particularly in the ’60, Minutes’ segment featuring former State Department officials who resigned in protest over U.S. support for Israel. This segment, Redstone claimed, overlooked the Hamas attack on October 7, focusing primarily on alleged Israeli atrocities.
Redstone, who recently sold her media empire to Skydance Media in an $8 billion merger, believed Trump’s legal action could prompt CBS to change its approach. She emphasized the need for more ‘balance’ in the network’s coverage. Despite her concerns, CBS and Trump recently reached a multimillion-dollar settlement, though Redstone’s focus remained on the network’s reporting on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Her stance highlights the growing tensions within media companies regarding the handling of sensitive international issues like the Middle East conflict.