
CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss sparked outrage at the network on Sunday after she pulled a ā60 Minutesā segment about El Salvadorās infamous prison off the air.
Weiss reportedly made the decision not to run the segment, āInside CECOT,ā as planned after officials in President Donald Trumpās administration refused to be interviewed, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The decision came following President Donald Trumpās recent complaint on Truth SocialĀ that ā60 Minutesā has treated him worse after Weiss took over the company.
Some staff are threatening to quit over the move, CNNās Brian Stelter reported on X.
Weiss reportedly suggested that the reporters interview White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller and gave them his number, CNN reported.
Journalist Sharyn Alfonsi wrote in an email to her colleagues that she believed the decision was political rather than editorial, according to the WSJ. She stated that the segment had been repeatedly screened and contained all āfactually correctā information.
āTheir refusal to be interviewed is a tactical maneuver designed to kill the story,ā Alfonsi said in the email. āIf the administrationās refusal to participate becomes a valid reason to spike a story, we have effectively handed them a ākill switchā for any reporting they find inconvenient.ā
Weiss said in a statement to The New York Times that the segment will be aired when it is properly ready.
āMy job is to make sure that all stories we publish are the best they can be. Holding stories that arenāt ready for whatever reason ā that they lack sufficient context, say, or that they are missing critical voices ā happens every day in every newsroom. I look forward to airing this important piece when itās ready,ā Weiss said.
Weiss stepped into her editorial role in October when Paramount Skydance acquired her publication, The Free Press. Paramount CEO David Ellison handed Weiss the task of bringing more politically balanced coverage to the network, prompting her to make several changes to its coverage and programs.
Weiss held a televised town hall with Erika Kirk on Dec. 13, where they discussed the aftermath of her husbandās assassination and the publicās reaction to his death.
Since her takeover, notable CBS hosts John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois have both departed the network. Weiss has also reportedly considered replacing āCBS Morningsā host Gayle King with a cheaper alternative after her contract expires in 2026, the WSJ previously reported.
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