CBS News is embroiled in significant controversy following a series of high-profile editorial decisions by its new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss. The scrutiny centres on her order to kill a critical 60 Minutes investigation and her subsequent approval of a feature embedding the CBS Evening News with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during an immigration raid.
From Spiked Report to Prime-Time Raid
The chain of events began last month when Weiss, shortly before broadcast, instructed the flagship investigative programme 60 Minutes to pull a prepared segment. The report detailed how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under Noem's leadership, had sent hundreds of migrants to a notorious prison in El Salvador known as CECOT.
Weiss reportedly told producers, who had cleared the piece through multiple internal reviews, that an on-camera response from a Trump administration official was necessary. The decision was widely criticised within CBS News. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, in leaked material, accused Weiss of giving the Trump administration a "'kill switch' for any reporting they find 'inconvenient.'"
In a stark contrast, this week the newly relaunched CBS Evening News, now led by anchor Tony Dokoupil, aired an exclusive segment featuring Secretary Noem. The programme embedded with her and heavily armed DHS agents during a raid in the Minneapolis area on Tuesday 07 January 2026.
The Minneapolis Crackdown and Political Backdrop
The raid, part of a major Trump administration operation that could deploy up to 2,000 agents, targeted a man named Tomas Espin Tapia. Officials stated Tapia entered the US illegally from Ecuador in 2022 and had an active warrant for sexual assault in Connecticut.
In a sit-down interview with CBS reporter Nicole Sganga, Noem defended the crackdown. She sidestepped questions about President Trump's inflammatory comments comparing local Somalis to "garbage," stating, "I'm focused on policing the streets, not policing President Trump's words."
This editorial direction under Weiss has unfolded against a highly politicised backdrop. CBS's parent company, Paramount Skydance, recently completed a complex merger. Skydance was founded by David Ellison, son of billionaire Oracle mogul and Trump supporter Larry Ellison.
Critics allege Weiss's leadership is an attempt to make CBS News more palatable to the Trump administration. These claims intensified when, shortly before the merger's final approval, Paramount agreed to a $16 million settlement in a lawsuit from Donald Trump against 60 Minutes.
A Newsroom Under Strain
Weiss's tenure, marked by reported internal strife, now faces intense examination. The leaked 60 Minutes segment and the subsequent favourable coverage of a cabinet secretary have raised serious questions about editorial independence and potential political influence.
The juxtaposition of these two stories—one spiked, one prominently aired—has become a focal point for debates about media integrity and the pressures on major broadcast networks in a polarised political climate. The fallout continues as observers watch for Weiss's next moves at the helm of the storied news division.
