A Dark Moment for Journalism — and Devastation in Texas

Last week, when Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, announced a $16 million settlement with President Trump over editing of a segment of “60 Minutes,” many of the network’s journalists were furious.

The deal also raised questions about the independence of CBS’s journalism, and how much news organizations could be cowed by threats from the president going forward.

David Enrich, an investigations editor at The Times, takes us inside the settlement, and Lowell Bergman, a former CBS producer and investigative journalist at The Times, reminds us that the network has been in a similar situation before and discusses why this time may be different.

First, Edgar Sandoval, who is on the ground in Texas, explains what is happening in the wake of the flooding.

Guest:

• Edgar Sandoval, a reporter for The New York Times covering Texas.
• David Enrich, a deputy investigations editor for The New York Times.
• Lowell Bergman, a journalist and former producer for CBS’s “60 Minutes.”

Background reading: 

• Paramount to pay Donald Trump $16 million to settle ‘60 Minutes’ lawsuit.
• For ‘60 Minutes,’ a humbling moment at an uneasy time for press freedom.
• More than 50 have been found dead in Texas floods as the search for missing grows dire.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

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