New CBS News chief draws backlash by pulling ’60 Minutes’ story on El Salvador prison

William Brangham:

CBS News abruptly pulled an investigative report on "60 Minutes" just a day before it was set to air.

Sharyn Alfonsi:

It began as soon as the planes landed.

William Brangham:

It promised an inside look at allegations of abuse and torture suffered by men deported by the Trump administration and sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador.

The new editor in chief of CBS News, Bari Weiss, said the segment would eventually run, but it needed comment from a Trump administration official. But "60 Minutes" correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi condemned that decision, writing in an internal e-mail that they did reach out to the administration and heard nothing back.

Alfonsi wrote — quote — "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."

We are joined now by Brian Stelter. He's the chief media analyst for CNN.

Brian, thank you so much for being here.

For those who don't know the internal workings of an organization like "60 Minutes," how unusual is it for them to pull a story at the last minute like this?

Brian Stelter, CNN Chief Media Correspondent:

This is virtually unheard of. I have been covering TV news 20 years. I can't think of a case quite like this.

It's unique because the segment was screened ahead of time many times. It was approved by the editors and the lawyers and the vetters. And then it was publicly announced on Friday afternoon. CBS likes to promote the "60 Minutes" lineup ahead of time to encourage people to tune in on Sunday night. So it was promoted.

But then, on Saturday morning, new editor in chief Bari Weiss objected to the piece, expressed concerns about it, and that's why it was shelved. Bari Weiss had to have known that the segment had been promoted ahead of time. She had to have known it had been publicized, but she decided to intervene anyway.

Now, that is her prerogative. She is the editor in chief of CBS News, but it's astonishing that she has done so. And it's created a lot of consternation inside CBS.

William Brangham:

Alfonsi, Sharyn Alfonsi, the correspondent on this, argued that this wasn't about editorial differences, that this was about politics, implying that this was going to be a very tough piece about the Trump administration, and someone in CBS wanted that dialed back.

Bari Weiss pushed back against this, saying, stories are — that are not ready for error are routinely held back by news organizations and there's nothing to see here.

I understand that you have now seen a copy that inadvertently was posted in Canada…

Brian Stelter:

Yes.

William Brangham:

… that does seem to be the actual broadcast that was intended to run. In your view, as a media analyst and critic, does it feel like a lopsided piece of journalism or does it feel like it lives up to "60 Minutes"' normal standards?

Brian Stelter:

I think, if this segment had aired one or two or three years ago, people would have said it's a normal "60 Minutes" segment. It is in line with CBS standards. There's nothing particularly unusual about the segment.

However, we now live in this very politically heated time, where Paramount is under tremendous pressure from the Trump administration and Paramount is trying to cozy up to the Trump administration because of various deals that are in the works.

So you now have a situation where "60 Minutes" is under the microscope, and this story, yes, would have been under that political microscope as a result. But let's step back and just assess what you just said. It is stunning that this broadcast, which was held by the editor in chief of CBS in the United States, still aired in Canada.

And that did happen. It streamed online. And in the last couple of hours, Americans have been watching the segment and been sharing it on sites like Reddit and Bluesky. So, imagine, right? You're the editor of CBS News. You are trying to shelve the segment, but it's now out there in the world anyway. Now people are watching it.

And the point of the segment is to feature the voices of some of these men who were deported, who say they were tortured in the custody of the El Salvadorian government. That's the point of the story.

Now, Weiss says she wants comment from Trump administration officials. She wanted someone like Stephen Miller on camera. And that would be great. And that would make for a different story. But the bottom line is that Sharyn Alfonsi and her team, they wanted to tell the story of some of the men who were deported. And they succeeded in doing so.

And now it's being seen in Canada and now on the Internet all over the world.

William Brangham:

Someone who was privy to some of these internal conversations at CBS spoke to one of my colleagues and said this, that: "Bari Weiss is not a journalist, and she has just confirmed that for all the world to see."

She herself has, again, defended this decision and said the piece will run when it feels appropriate. This is — she is the editor in chief. What have you been hearing from within CBS about the fallout from this move?

Brian Stelter:

Many CBS staffers say this is the moment they have feared all year long, with corporate meddling and political pressure tainting the journalism at CBS. They fear it's a blow to the network's credibility.

But now that this segment has been shared online, because it aired in Canada, because the video has been captured and posted on YouTube and other sites, now, in some ways, this situation has reversed itself. And now the segment has been shown, even though CBS has not officially released it.

So it changes the dynamics somewhat both for Weiss and for CBS. The broader concern, though, will remain. The broader concern among CBS staffers will remain. And that is that the company is vulnerable to political pressure.

Every few days, President Trump complains about "60 Minutes." He did it again on Friday night. He complains about the owners of Paramount. Is there a firewall in place between the corporation and the newsroom? That remains the giant question.

William Brangham:

And, lastly, none of the previous controversies that have come out of "60 Minutes," whether it was them settling a lawsuit against the Trump administration that many people argued CBS would have handily won in court.

Where do you think this ends? Does this continue to be a cancer inside CBS, or will this too blow over?

Brian Stelter:

The journalism will continue to speak for itself, and the reporting will continue to get out, as we have seen today, in spite of some attempts to stop it or to pause it.

Now, Bari Weiss has questions to answer. I'm sure she will in the future. She says she's trying to protect the integrity of CBS, but that's what the journalists and the producers do as well, say they're trying to do as well. So it's a tug-of-war of sorts inside this newsroom. It reflects the broader tensions of our time.

And this is something that is part of a broader free speech and First Amendment test that we're living through in the U.S. We're at the end of the first year of Trump 2.0. And I would say the media is largely winning, largely succeeding, largely passing that stress test. But the test is real, and we see that test under way right now at CBS.

William Brangham:

That is Brian Stelter, CNN's chief media critic.

Thank you so much. Always good to talk to you.

Brian Stelter:

Thanks.