CBS News’ Bari Weiss Reportedly Defends Decision to Pull 60 Minutes Story

On Monday, Bari Weiss, CBS Information’ editor-in-chief, used the community’s morning name to defend the momentary pulling of a 60 Minutes story scheduled to air on Sunday evening.“I held the story as a result of it was not prepared,” Weiss stated, in accordance with a transcript from the decision reportedly obtained by The Wall Avenue Journal.She added that the story, which revolved across the Trump administration deporting Venezuelan males to the utmost safety jail CECOT in El Salvador, “didn’t advance the ball” and wanted extra, together with getting a response from a authorities official on digicam.“That is 60 Minutes,” Weiss stated. “We want to have the ability to make each effort to get the principals on the file and on digicam.” NEW: Bari Weiss addresses her determination to carry final evening’s CECOT story on the CBS Information morning editorial name: “Our viewers come first, not a list schedule or anything…” pic.twitter.com/TGfHHNcVgG — Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) December 22, 2025News broke on Sunday that Weiss had shelved the story on Saturday in regards to the abuse at CECOT, which was reported by Sharyn Alfonsi and had been closely promoted days earlier than. The community put out an announcement, saying, “The 60 Minutes report on ‘Inside CECOT’ will air in a future broadcast. We decided it wanted further reporting.”In an e-mail obtained by Axios, Weiss on Sunday shared steerage with 60 Minutes staffers on advancing the CECOT story, together with searching for out Trump officers, acquiring extra particulars in regards to the 252 Venezuelans despatched to CECOT, and outlining the authorized arguments for sending them to that particular jail. She added, “We do our viewers the most effective service by presenting them with the total context they should assess the story.” New: See the memo Bari Weiss despatched to some 60 Minutes employees on Sunday: pic.twitter.com/3ERieIGXLh — Isabella Simonetti (@thesimonetti) December 22, 2025Meanwhile, over the weekend, Alfonsi emailed her colleagues to substantiate the story’s pulling, reportedly saying she and her producer, Oriana Zill de Granados, had requested a gathering with Weiss to debate the explanation for the story’s spike, however the CBS Information editor-in-chief didn’t grant them that chance.Alfonsi added that the story had been screened 5 instances and cleared by the community’s attorneys and requirements and practices division. She known as the story “factually right” and claimed the explanation it was pulled was not an editorial determination however a “political one.”Alfonsi went on so as to add that they’d “requested responses to questions and/or interviews with DHS, the White Home, and the State Division,” however obtained no response.  1. BREAKING Sharyn Alfonsi, a correspondent for 60 Minutes, despatched an inside e-mail to colleagues stating that CBS Information editor in chief Bari Weiss “spiked our story” in regards to the Trump administration and the switch of deportees to a jail in El Salvador. [image or embed] — Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yasharali.bsky.social) December 21, 2025 at 10:34 PMWeiss has been on the helm of CBS Information since October, following Paramount’s merger with Skydance Media. Reporting on to Paramount CEO David Ellison, Weiss was described as bringing “a ardour for reaching broad audiences via rigorous, fact-based reporting and a relentless dedication to amplifying voices from all corners of the spectrum.” Throughout that point, Weiss has been working to remake the information division and has grow to be one of many faces of the community, lately moderating a city corridor with Erika Kirk. She additionally introduced new on-air appointments, together with anchor Tony Dokoupil for its franchise night information program, CBS Night Information.