“60 Minutes” is facing a serious trust issue. Some insiders feel the program is being dismantled, and a few employees are even considering leaving. The trouble started when CBS News suddenly pulled a segment about Venezuelan men deported by the Trump administration to a harsh prison in El Salvador.
Sharyn Alfonsi, who reported the story, expressed concern in a memo that the public might see this as corporate censorship. She indicated that the story had gone through significant fact-checking and legal review—only to be shelved just before airing.
Editing leader Bari Weiss questioned the segment shortly before it was set to air. Alfonsi accused Weiss of spiking the story. One main issue was the lack of a response from the Trump administration regarding the claims made. Alfonsi noted that they had reached out to various government departments for interviews, but no one engaged.
This silence from the administration raised alarms for Weiss. At one point, she suggested trying to contact White House aide Stephen Miller for a comment. Alfonsi argued this kind of silence shouldn’t allow the administration to derail an important story. In her words, not allowing this story to air because of the administration’s lack of response would give them a “kill switch” for any reporting they find troubling.
Weiss later said in a statement that holding a story until it’s fully ready is standard practice in newsrooms. However, Alfonsi countered that the segment had already been thoroughly vetted, stating that delaying it wasn’t an editorial choice but a political one.
“60 Minutes” segments are normally screened several times, but it is unusual for a piece to undergo five screenings. Questions remain about when Weiss first reviewed the story. Recently, she has shown more involvement in political stories at CBS.
Meanwhile, President Trump has criticized “60 Minutes” on social media, expressing disappointment in CBS’s new leadership. He has a history of clashes with the network, including a lawsuit in late 2024 alleging that they deceptively edited an interview with Kamala Harris. Legal experts deemed the lawsuit questionable, but it created tension at CBS News, where reporters feared corporate interests were bearing down on editorial freedom.
The ongoing conflicts have caused unease among CBS staff. Eventually, the previous leadership settled Trump’s lawsuit, leading to concessions from the new management to appease his supporters. David Ellison took control of Paramount and showed optimism about “60 Minutes,” hiring Weiss as editor-in-chief.
Weiss’s management has raised eyebrows due to her limited experience in traditional journalism. Nonetheless, she was present when CBS journalist Norah O’Donnell interviewed Trump at Mar-a-Lago, where the president praised her efforts.
Despite the outward show of support, the tension hasn’t gone unnoticed. Recently, Trump criticized Ellison amid a high-stakes bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN. He echoed frustrations about “60 Minutes” and how the new leadership had not met his expectations.
As these developments unfold, CBS is promoting a new segment titled “INSIDE CECOT.” In a press release, they shared that Alfonsi conversed with deportees who recounted the horrific conditions they faced in prison. Alfonsi emphasized the duty journalists have to represent those who bravely share their stories, warning against abandoning them at a critical moment.
