“60 Minutes” recently aired a story about deportations from the Trump administration that had been pulled from its lineup a month earlier. This decision sparked an internal conflict within CBS News regarding political pressure on reporting.
Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, who covered the deportees sent to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison, did not mention her disagreements with CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss during the segment. When the story got cut from the December 21 episode, Alfonsi told her colleagues it was a political move, not an editorial one. Weiss claimed the segment didn’t represent the administration’s perspective or add anything new.
Interestingly, Alfonsi’s report carried no on-camera interviews with Trump officials. Instead, it included statements from the White House and the Department of Homeland Security, which were not part of her earlier version. These comments, available on the “60 Minutes” website, were dated before the story was pulled.
Alfonsi pointed out that since November, “60 Minutes” had sought interviews with key officials but was consistently turned down. She suggested that this refusal was a strategy to bury the report.
In a statement, CBS News insisted it always planned to air the CECOT piece when it was ready. The show included other significant stories, reinforcing CBS News’ commitment to independent journalism.
Alfonsi’s segment aired alongside a report by Cecilia Vega regarding ICE enforcement efforts and related protests. Originally sidelined, Alfonsi’s story accidentally went live on the web due to a mix-up with Global Television, a Canadian network. This allowed viewers to compare what was initially cut with what finally aired.
The core of her story remained unchanged, featuring clips of President Trump discussing the prison operators and comments from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt about the deportees.
Alfonsi altered her story’s introduction to include a recent U.S. raid that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, currently in U.S. custody. She also added explanations from the administration about the migrant records.
Since Weiss’s arrival, Trump officials have appeared more frequently on CBS News programs, and Trump was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell in November. Following his latest interview, a White House official threatened legal action if the exchange was not fully aired. CBS ultimately broadcast the entire interview, showcasing a shift in their relationship with the administration.
The situation sheds light on the evolving relationship between media and politics. A recent Pew Research Center study found that 70% of Americans believe the news media tends to favor one side when covering political issues. This ongoing tension raises important questions about journalistic independence and public trust in the media.
You can explore more about journalism’s role in politics and the public’s perception in this Pew Report.
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Donald Trump, Bari Weiss, Sharyn Alfonsi, Karoline Leavitt, Immigration, United States government, Prisons, El Salvador, General news, Latin America, United States, New York City, Central America, New York, Entertainment, Lesley Stahl, David Bauder, U.S. news, Immigrant detention, U.S.-Venezuela conflict, Norah ODonnell, Nicolas Maduro, Politics, Tony Dokoupil, Cecilia Vega
