CBS urged to release transcripts of political interviews

A media watchdog group is calling for CBS News to release all transcripts from future political interviews on its show 60 Minutes. The Center for American Rights, a nonprofit linked to conservative groups, made this request to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). They believe that releasing these transcripts would promote transparency and accountability. The group noted that CBS has previously released interview transcripts selectively. They pointed out that CBS’s other program, Face the Nation, already follows this practice. This request follows a complaint the Center filed in October. It was related to how CBS handled an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris, where she gave different answers to the same question. The previous FCC chair dismissed the complaint, but the new chair, Brendan Carr, has reopened the matter. Carr is reviewing CBS’s editing of the interview amid a proposed merger between CBS's parent company, Paramount Global, and Skydance Media, which needs FCC approval. This comes as President Donald Trump has filed a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS regarding the Harris interview, and negotiations for a settlement are ongoing. The Center also suggested that CBS should improve its diversity by hiring a nonpartisan ombudsman and adjusting its hiring practices to include people from various backgrounds.