CBS News Editor-in-Chief Pulls '60 Minutes' Segment on El Salvador Detention Center
New CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss removed an investigative segment from a scheduled "60 Minutes" broadcast. The segment, slated for March, focused on allegations of abuses at a detention center in El Salvador where the Trump administration had sent Venezuelan migrants. The decision was made approximately 36 hours before the broadcast.
Reason for Decision and Correspondent's Response
Weiss communicated to colleagues that the piece required an on-the-record comment from a Trump administration official to air, according to anonymous sources familiar with internal network events.
Sharyn Alfonsi, the correspondent for the story, expressed her disagreement with the decision in an email to "60 Minutes" colleagues. Alfonsi stated her belief that the decision was "not an editorial decision, it is a political one." She elaborated, "Government silence is a statement, not a VETO. 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."
Segment Development and Prior Promotions
The segment had undergone multiple formal reviews involving senior producers, news executives, and legal and standards divisions. Prior to its removal, CBS News' publicity team had issued a press release promoting the story, which promised an examination of CECOT, described as an El Salvadoran prison. The original announcement mentioned "brutal and tortuous conditions" that recently released deportees reportedly endured. A video promotion for the segment was also broadcast and shared on social media, but has since been removed. The press release has been subsequently revised.
Alfonsi indicated that she and her team had sought comments and interviews from the Department of Homeland Security, the White House, and the State Department.
A CBS spokesperson declined to comment on the matter but noted that the revised programming announcement stated the story would air at a later date.
Context: Prior Litigation and Network Ownership
This incident occurs within a broader context involving CBS and former President Donald Trump. Last year, Trump sued CBS over the editing of a "60 Minutes" interview with Kamala Harris. The network's then-news chief and top executive at "60 Minutes" resigned earlier this year as settlement talks progressed. Paramount's previous owners subsequently paid Trump $16 million to settle the case, which did not include an apology or admission of wrongdoing.
The settlement occurred as controlling owner Shari Redstone facilitated the sale of Paramount Global to the Ellison family, a transaction that underwent federal anti-trust review.
Bari Weiss and New Ownership
Bari Weiss's arrival at CBS News this year coincided with the new ownership under Paramount chief David Ellison. Weiss founded The Free Press, an online publication that focuses on diverse viewpoints, operating on the premise that a segment of mainstream media exhibits a liberal bias. While The Free Press has published content critical of Trump, Weiss has also suggested that some news coverage is biased against him.
David Ellison's father, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, is a financial supporter and adviser to former President Trump. During the summer, David Ellison made assurances to federal broadcast regulators that CBS would become more receptive to conservative perspectives as he secured federal approval to acquire CBS's parent company.
Weiss has stated that news organizations can regain public trust by fostering debate between center-right and center-left perspectives.
Reactions from Donald Trump
Donald Trump has continued to engage with the Ellisons regarding media ownership, particularly as they seek federal approval for the acquisition of CNN's corporate parent, Warner Bros. Discovery. Trump criticized the new Paramount owners, without naming them, after a recent "60 Minutes" episode featured Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former ally-turned-critic.
Trump posted on Truth Social: "THEY ARE NO BETTER THAN THE OLD OWNERSHIP, who just paid me millions of Dollars for FAKE REPORTING about your favorite President, ME! Since they bought it, 60 Minutes has actually gotten WORSE!"
Editorial Timeline and Prior Objections
Weiss made her decision regarding the "60 Minutes" segment known early Saturday morning, approximately 36 hours before its scheduled Sunday broadcast. "60 Minutes" segments are typically extensively produced over weeks or months. CBS publicly announced the decision late Sunday afternoon, two hours before broadcast.
During an earlier review of the CECOT report, Weiss had objected to the use of "Venezuelan migrants" to describe the individuals, favoring the term "illegal immigrants," which is used by the Trump administration. Many of those sent to the Salvadoran prison had reportedly applied for asylum and were awaiting decisions on their applications, not all of them were in the country illegally.
Weiss joined CBS News in October following Ellison's Skydance Media acquisition of The Free Press, whose content has been integrated into the CBS News website. This role marks Weiss's first within television, and the network news division is significantly larger than The Free Press. She remains editor of The Free Press and has recently conducted high-profile interviews on CBS, including with conservative activist Erika Kirk. Weiss has also announced plans for further newsmaker interviews on CBS, including with figures such as Vice President JD Vance and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.