Overview: Bari Weiss is planning changes to CBS News' editorial structure after she pulled a late-stage "60 Minutes" investigation into CECOT, a prison in El Salvador. Producers say the segment had been screened multiple times and cleared by legal and standards teams. Weiss contends the piece needed more reporting and on-the-record responses from the Trump administration. The move has prompted internal criticism and a debate about editorial processes at the network.
Bari Weiss Plans Major Editorial Shakeup at CBS After Scrapping '60 Minutes' Report
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CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss is moving to rewrite parts of the network's editorial playbook after drawing criticism for pulling a "60 Minutes" segment at the last minute. The investigation focused on CECOT, a large prison in El Salvador where Venezuelan men deported by the United States were reportedly held.
At a Monday editorial call, Bari Weiss told staffers, “The only newsroom I’m interested in running is one in which we are able to have contentious disagreements about the thorniest editorial matters with respect, and, crucially, where we assume the best intent of our colleagues.” / Leigh Vogel/Getty Images
According to reporting from Axios, Weiss, 41, is proposing a new masthead and standardized processes to clarify the chain of command and give senior editors earlier oversight of sensitive stories. The plan is framed as an effort to harmonize editorial standards and ensure consistent decision-making across the news division.
“60 Minutes
The overhaul comes after Weiss's eleventh-hour decision to shelve the "60 Minutes" report, which Sharyn Alfonsi — the segment's correspondent — described in an internal memo as "political." Producers and other staff have expressed frustration that the piece had reportedly been screened multiple times and cleared by CBS attorneys and the network's Standards and Practices office.
“60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley criticized Weiss for missing screenings of the segment. / Michele Crowe/CBS News via Getty Images
Sources told CNN that Weiss saw the segment the previous Thursday and initially allowed it to proceed. On Saturday, the day before it was scheduled to air, Weiss reportedly sent executive producer Tanya Simon a list of concerns. Simon subsequently told colleagues that Weiss had a different vision for the piece and that the notes arrived too late in the process to be addressed.
A still from the trailer for a '60 Minutes' segment about CECOT, which was pulled at the last minute by Bari Weiss. / CBS News
"In the end, our editor-in-chief had a different vision for how the piece should be, and it came late in the process," Simon said on a call with staff.
Veteran correspondent Scott Pelley criticized Weiss at a staff meeting for missing earlier screenings, saying, "It's not a part-time job," according to The New York Times. Weiss told staff she pulled the segment because it required additional reporting and that producers should seek on-the-record responses from Trump administration officials.
On a subsequent editorial call, Weiss said the piece "wasn't ready," acknowledging that it presented "very powerful testimony of abuse at CECOT" but noting that similar reporting has appeared elsewhere. Weiss also emphasized the importance of respectful debate in the newsroom and said she expects colleagues to assume one another's best intentions.
Alfonsi said in her memo that she had requested a call with Weiss to discuss the decision but was not given the opportunity. Alfonsi also said she had sought comment from Homeland Security, the White House, and the State Department and received no reply; Axios reported a source saying the administration did in fact provide comments to CBS.
Separately, a version of the segment was accidentally aired by a Canadian broadcaster; that version did not include the administration comments attributed to CBS. The network has been contacted for comment, and reporting on the dispute has cited Axios, CNN, and The New York Times as sources.
What This Means: The episode has prompted a broader conversation at CBS about editorial oversight, timing of executive reviews, and how standards and legal clearances are weighed against newsroom judgment. Weiss's proposed changes aim to create clearer processes, but the dispute highlights tensions between producers and top editors over control of high-profile investigations.
