CBS News's new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, has ignited a fierce internal and public debate after making the controversial decision to pull a scheduled 60 Minutes episode investigating a notorious prison in El Salvador. The segment was heavily promoted but pulled from the broadcast at the last minute.
Internal Fury Over 'Political' Decision
In a memo sent to staff on 24 December 2024, Weiss defended the move, stating the network's priority was to ensure "comprehensive and fair" coverage. She argued that news organisations must work to regain public trust and vowed that "no amount of outrage" would derail CBS's mission. "We are not out to score points with one side of the political spectrum," the memo, co-signed by other network leaders, asserted.
The decision, however, sparked immediate anger within 60 Minutes. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, who spent weeks reporting the story, called it a "political one" in a private email that later became public. She revealed her team had requested comment from the White House, the State Department, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but received no response.
"If the administration’s refusal to participate becomes a valid reason to spike a story, we have effectively handed them a ‘kill switch’ for any reporting they find inconvenient," Alfonsi wrote. She also noted the report had been screened five times and cleared by CBS's legal and standards departments.
The Contentious Episode and Wider Feud
The unaired episode, which later appeared online via Canadian broadcaster Global TV, featured powerful testimony from deportees. They alleged torture and abuse inside the Salvadoran prison where the Trump administration had sent over 200 Venezuelan migrants. A federal judge recently ruled this transfer violated the migrants' due process rights.
Weiss stated her primary concern was airing the segment without an adequate response from the Trump administration. This controversy unfolds against a backdrop of a widening feud between the Trump administration and 60 Minutes. During the 2024 election, Trump declined an interview with the programme, then sued the network over its handling of an interview with Kamala Harris. Paramount, CBS's parent company, settled that lawsuit for $16 million.
Scrutiny on Weiss's Leadership and Paramount's Ambitions
Weiss's appointment as editor-in-chief in 2024 by Paramount CEO David Ellison was met with concern by many CBS staff and media watchdogs. Ellison's father, Larry, is a Trump ally and major donor. Paramount also acquired Weiss's publication, The Free Press, in a deal reportedly worth $150 million.
Critics have questioned Weiss's qualifications, noting her background as a provocative opinion writer with no broadcast television experience. Her management is now under sharp scrutiny as Paramount pursues a hostile takeover of Warner Bros Discovery. Trump has indicated he plans to be involved in the regulatory review of this acquisition.
The incident highlights the intense pressures and political polarisation facing major US news networks, raising fundamental questions about editorial independence and the challenges of reporting under a contentious administration.
