CBS News Pulls '60 Minutes' Segment on El Salvador Detention Center
Bari Weiss, the Editor-in-Chief of CBS News, made a decision to pull an investigative segment from "60 Minutes" that focused on allegations regarding conditions at an El Salvador detention center. The segment, which was scheduled to air on a Sunday night, concerned a facility where hundreds of Venezuelan migrants had been sent by the Trump administration in March.
Reasons for the Decision
Weiss informed colleagues that the segment could not proceed without an on-the-record comment from a Trump administration official. This information comes from two anonymous sources with knowledge of internal network events.
Correspondent's Reaction and Internal Communication
Sharyn Alfonsi, the correspondent for the story, expressed her disagreement with the decision in an email to "60 Minutes" colleagues. In the email, obtained by NPR and other news organizations, Alfonsi stated her belief that the decision was "not an editorial decision, it is a political one." She also wrote that she and her team had sought comments and interviews from the Department of Homeland Security, the White House, and the State Department. Alfonsi asserted that "Government silence is a statement, not a VETO," and argued that if an administration's refusal to participate becomes grounds to spike a story, it grants them a "kill switch" for inconvenient reporting.
Network Promotion and Revision
CBS News' publicity team had previously issued a press release promoting the story, which described a look inside CECOT, an El Salvadoran facility. The original announcement referred to "the brutal and tortuous conditions" some recently released deportees claimed to have experienced. The network also broadcast a video promotion for the segment, which has since been removed. The press release has since been revised. The story had undergone multiple formal reviews by senior producers, news executives, and legal and standards divisions, according to sources aligning with Alfonsi's account.
CBS Statement
A CBS spokesperson declined to comment on the matter but noted that the revised programming announcement indicated the story would air at a later date.
Context of Network Leadership and Previous Litigation
The decision occurs amidst recent leadership changes and previous legal matters involving CBS. Last year, Donald Trump initiated a lawsuit against CBS regarding the editing of a "60 Minutes" interview with Kamala Harris. Earlier this year, the network's news chief and a top "60 Minutes" executive resigned as settlement talks progressed. Paramount's previous owners paid Trump $16 million to resolve the case.
Bari Weiss joined CBS News in October following the acquisition of her online publication, The Free Press, by Skydance Media, led by David Ellison. Weiss founded The Free Press based on the premise that a segment of mainstream media is excessively liberal. David Ellison, whose father Larry Ellison is a financial supporter and adviser to Donald Trump, made commitments to federal regulators this summer to make the network more accommodating to conservative perspectives as part of gaining approval to acquire CBS's parent company, Paramount Global. Weiss has stated her aim for news organizations like CBS to regain public trust by fostering debate between center-right and center-left viewpoints.
Donald Trump recently criticized the new Paramount owners on Truth Social, following a "60 Minutes" episode featuring Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former ally-turned-critic. Trump stated, "THEY ARE NO BETTER THAN THE OLD OWNERSHIP, who just paid me millions of Dollars for FAKE REPORTING about your favorite President, ME!" and "Since they bought it, 60 Minutes has actually gotten WORSE!"
Timeline of Decision and Editorial Specifics
Weiss reportedly communicated her decision by early Saturday morning, approximately 36 hours before the scheduled broadcast of the "60 Minutes" segment. CBS publicly announced the decision late Sunday afternoon, two hours before the broadcast time.
During an earlier review of the report, Weiss had reportedly expressed objection to the use of the term "Venezuelan migrants," favoring "illegal immigrants," a term previously used by the Trump administration. Many individuals sent to the Salvadoran prison were not in the United States illegally and had submitted asylum applications, awaiting decisions.
Weiss's Role and Future Plans
The CBS News role is Weiss's first within television news. She continues to serve as editor of The Free Press, whose content has been integrated into the CBS News website. Weiss recently hosted an interview broadcast on CBS with conservative activist Erika Kirk and has announced plans for more newsmaker interviews at CBS, including with Vice President JD Vance and Maryland Governor Wes Moore.