A storm of internal fury has erupted at CBS News after its controversial editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, spiked a scheduled 60 Minutes investigation into the Trump administration's mass deportations, with staff warning of an impending "revolt" and accusing the move of blatant political interference.
Inside the Newsroom Uproar
According to multiple insiders who spoke to The Independent, the decision to pull the segment, titled "Inside CECOT," at the last minute has created a "holy f***ing dumpster fire" within the network. The report, produced by journalist Sharyn Alfonsi, focused on the notorious El Salvador prison where undocumented migrants deported by the Trump administration have alleged horrific abuse.
Weiss, the "anti-woke" founder of The Free Press who was installed by Paramount chair David Ellison in October, notified staff on Saturday that the story would not air as planned on Sunday, 22 December 2025. It was replaced with softer features on a family of musicians and Mount Everest sherpas.
In a blistering email to colleagues, including anchors Lesley Stahl and Anderson Cooper, Alfonsi revealed that Weiss had spiked the story without granting her and producer Oriana Zill de Granados a requested call to discuss the decision. "Our story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices," Alfonsi wrote. "It is factually correct. In my view, pulling it now... is not an editorial decision, it is a political one."
A Battle Over Editorial Independence
The controversy centres on whether Weiss's actions represent legitimate editorial judgement or corporate-political censorship. Weiss told The New York Times her "job is to make sure that all stories we publish are the best they can be," claiming the piece needed more context and critical voices, such as an interview with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
Alfonsi forcefully countered this in her email, stating her team had requested responses from the Department of Homeland Security, the White House, and the State Department. "Government silence is a statement, not a veto," she argued. "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."
Network insiders see Weiss's move as deeply connected to Ellison's business ambitions. "It’s going to be fascinating to see how far Bari is willing to double down on the piece ‘not ready’ argument," one CBS News staffer told The Independent. "It’ll be our clearest signal yet that she doesn’t represent CBS News but instead David Ellison and whatever is convenient for him politically." Ellison is currently seeking Donald Trump's backing for Paramount's hostile $40 billion takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, a bid his father, Larry Ellison, recently upped by personally backing the equity financing.
Fallout and a Tense Future
The fallout was immediate and public. On Monday's CBS Mornings, co-host Nate Burleson reported on the spiked segment, reading from Alfonsi's email. The network's Monday editorial call was described as a "doozy," where a tired-looking Weiss doubled down, insisting she held the story because "it wasn't ready" and that "the public knows" about conditions at CECOT from previous reporting.
"We need to be able to make every effort to get the principals on the record and on camera," Weiss stated. "To me, our viewers come first, not a listing schedule or anything else." Staffers pushed back on her call for respectful dialogue, noting she refused to speak with Alfonsi directly. "What conversation?" one asked.
This incident is the latest in a series of contentious changes since Weiss's arrival, which have included brutal layoffs, programme cancellations, and a rightward shift in editorial direction. With Weiss reporting directly to David Ellison and not to CBS News president Tom Cibrowski, many within the hallowed "Tiffany Network" fear the 60 Minutes brand itself—a 50-year institution—is being sacrificed for corporate and political gain. As one staffer ominously questioned: "Will America be ok with the killing of the most watched news program? I don’t think so."
