CBS News Editor in Chief Bari Weiss is facing criticism after she decided to pull a planned 60 Minutes segment examining the Trump administration’s deportation of Venezuelan migrants to a harsh prison in El Salvador. The decision, made just days before the segment was set to air, has sparked questions over the network’s editorial independence and the role of political influence in its reporting.
The correspondent behind the story, Sharyn Alfonsi, sent a memo to colleagues Sunday evening, calling the decision “political” and a case of corporate interference. According to the memo, the segment had been screened five times and cleared by standards and practices as well as network attorneys. Alfonsi argued that the piece was factually sound and that pulling it at the last minute represented a “kill switch” for reporting the administration might find inconvenient.
In a Monday call with staff, Weiss defended her decision, saying the story was “not ready.”
“I want to say something about trust: our trust for each other and our trust with the public,” Weiss said on the call. “The only newsroom I’m interested in running is one where we can have contentious disagreements about the thorniest editorial matters with respect. Crucially, it must be a place where we assume the best intent of our colleagues. Anything else is absolutely unacceptable.”
Weiss continued to defend her position via the call saying, “I held a 60 Minutes story because it was not ready. While the story presented powerful testimony of torture at CECOT, it did not advance the ball—the Times and other outlets have previously done similar work. The public knows that Venezuelans have been subjected to horrific treatment at this prison. To run a story on this subject two months later, we need to do more. And this is 60 Minutes. We need to be able to get the principals on the record and on camera. Our viewers come first. Not the listing schedule or anything else. That’s my north star and I hope it’s yours, too.”
Alfonsi, however, suggested that the segment’s shelving was connected to the administration’s refusal to participate. She argued that waiting for government officials to cooperate would allow the administration to effectively veto reporting it opposed.
The decision to delay the segment has already drawn political scrutiny. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) called for an explanation on X, saying, “This CBS thing does merit an explanation right away. It’s a pretty big deal to pull a story at the request of the White House. And if that’s not what happened everyone should know that too.”
The segment had been scheduled to explore the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelan migrants earlier this year. Many were sent to CECOT, one of El Salvador’s harshest prisons. The segment was to feature interviews with deportees describing brutal conditions. In its place, 60 Minutes aired a feature from Nottingham, England. There, correspondent Jon Wertheim spoke with a family of classical musicians.
CBS and its parent company, Paramount Global, have faced ongoing tension with former President Trump. He previously sued 60 Minutes over an interview with Kamala Harris, eventually settling for $16 million. Trump has continued to criticize the program and Paramount’s new ownership on social media. This comes as the company pursues a hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.
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Completely unqualified. Placed, not earned.