Trump and Paramount Agree on Mediator in ‘60 Minutes’ Lawsuit

Paramount and President Trump are poised to begin mediation in his $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News, according to two people with knowledge of the decision, the latest development in a high-stakes legal battle involving one of America’s major news networks.

The two sides picked a mediator for the case in recent days, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the legal proceedings are confidential.

Though a mediator, which is required by the court, will try to help the sides reach a settlement, there is no guarantee that an agreement will be reached.

A deal would be a remarkable concession by a major U.S. media company to a politician, especially in a case in which there is no evidence that the network got facts wrong or damaged the plaintiff’s reputation. Mr. Trump claims that “60 Minutes” deceptively edited an interview last fall with former Vice President Kamala Harris, his opponent in the presidential election campaign. The network says the editing is protected by the First Amendment.

The two sides started talking about a possible settlement over two months ago. The prospect of a deal has rankled some employees of “60 Minutes,” who believe it would be an indelible stain on the reputation of CBS News. Bill Owens, the long-tenured executive producer for “60 Minutes,” said in a staff meeting in February that he would not apologize as part of any prospective settlement.

But some at the company have a different opinion. In their view, Paramount’s broader corporate interests are not served by fighting a protracted legal battle with a U.S. president who has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to use the power of his office to harm companies that fall out of favor with the White House. Last month, lawyers for CBS News filed a motion to dismiss Mr. Trump’s suit.