Former CBS Journalists Urge Paramount CEO to Protect Editorial Independence After 60 Minutes Segment Pulled

A growing group of current and former CBS News journalists is circulating a petition to David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, demanding stronger safeguards for editorial independence after a 60 Minutes investigation was pulled hours before it was scheduled to air.

What Happened

The 60 Minutes piece examined how migrants deported by the Trump administration were being treated at El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison. The segment, reported by correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, was withdrawn just hours before its December 21, 2025 broadcast; CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss told colleagues the report required additional work.

The Petition

The petition, addressed to Ellison and reported by the New York Post, warns that Weiss’s decision to delay the story constitutes a dangerous political intervention in editorial judgment. Signatories are collecting signatures from current and former staff and expect to send the letter in early January.

“The efforts by CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss to prevent this story from airing on December 21, 2025, signals a breakdown in editorial oversight, and risks setting a dangerous precedent in a country that has traditionally valued press freedom.”

Key Concerns

The petition criticizes Weiss’s insistence that the segment be delayed until it included a White House perspective, saying that request came late in the process and despite reported efforts by the 60 Minutes team to reach the Administration. It also notes that Weiss pushed for an interview with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller — a move the authors found especially troubling after Miller publicly called for people involved in the story to be fired.

Responses From Inside CBS

In an internal email, Alfonsi argued the piece met journalistic standards and described the decision to pull it as politically motivated, citing public criticism of 60 Minutes from President Donald Trump and attacks on CBS’s leadership. Weiss has defended her choice, saying her role is to ensure that all stories are "the best they can be" and that holding stories that lack sufficient context or critical voices happens regularly in newsrooms.

Weiss added: “I look forward to airing this important piece when it’s ready.”

Why It Matters

The episode has highlighted tensions inside CBS News since Weiss’s appointment in October following Ellison’s company acquiring Weiss’s media venture, The Free Press. Journalists say the dispute raises broader questions about newsroom independence and how new leadership choices may reshape editorial priorities.