CBS News postponed the airing of a 60 Minutes report on El Salvador’s CECOT prison just before its scheduled Sunday broadcast, citing the need for additional reporting. The program announced on social media that the segment, titled ‘Inside CECOT,’ would be shown at a later date. A spokesperson for CBS News mentioned that the decision was made due to the requirement for further investigation.
According to The New York Times, correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi expressed in a note that CBS pulled the segment for what she described as “political” reasons. She emphasized that the story had undergone thorough scrutiny and received clearance from CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices. Alfonsi believed that the decision to delay the report was political rather than editorial, despite meeting all internal checks.
CECOT is a large prison facility in El Salvador where numerous Venezuelan migrants, mainly without trial, have been detained, drawing criticism from human rights organizations for its harsh treatment of inmates. CBS, owned by Paramount Skydance PSKY.O, has undergone changes following its acquisition by Skydance Media, led by David Ellison. The deal was finalized after regulatory approval was secured with the commitment to represent diverse ideological perspectives in the network’s content.
Before the acquisition, Paramount settled a $16 million lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump over a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The FCC clarified that the settlement and regulatory review were unrelated matters.
The 60 Minutes segment ‘Inside CECOT’ was removed from CBS’s website, with reports suggesting that Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss requested significant new material for the segment. Weiss reportedly raised concerns about the content and requested the inclusion of an interview with a senior Trump administration figure, questioning the terminology used to describe the deported Venezuelan individuals.
Alfonsi indicated in her note that efforts were made to seek comments from various government departments but faced challenges in obtaining responses. The decision to delay the report has raised questions about potential interference in journalistic independence. CBS News and Alfonsi did not provide immediate comments outside regular working hours.
Weiss, who took over as head of CBS News, has been implementing changes within the network. Her appointment was met with some controversy due to her lack of prior experience in television news management. Under her leadership, Tony Dokoupil was named as the new anchor for the CBS Evening News segment, replacing the previous anchor team.
