Leaked internal emails reveal significant debate at CBS over whether to publish anonymous claims that ICE agent Jonathan Ross suffered "internal bleeding" after the shooting of Renee Nicole Goodin in Minneapolis. Reporters flagged thin sourcing and worried the leak could be politically motivated. CBS defended its editorial process even as several other outlets repeated the claim; staffers told the Guardian they felt uneasy about amplifying an unverified medical allegation.
Leaked Emails Reveal CBS Staff Doubts Over Anonymous Claim That ICE Agent Suffered 'Internal Bleeding'
More Americans Want ICE Abolished Than Not After Renee Good Killing
Leaked internal emails show a sharp debate inside the CBS newsroom over whether to publish an anonymously sourced claim that ICE agent Jonathan Ross "suffered internal bleeding to the torso" after the shooting of Renee Nicole Goodin in Minneapolis. The allegation, first posted on X and later expanded into an article, was attributed to "two U.S. officials" and immediately prompted editorial concern, according to Guardian reporter Jeremy Barr.
Emails reviewed by Barr indicate that several journalists raised doubts about the thin sourcing and the political implications of amplifying an unverified medical claim in an already incendiary story. Staffers worried the leak could be politically motivated and that publishing it might shape the public narrative in a way that favored those who provided the information.
Editorial Voices and Medical Caution
In one exchange, a medical producer urged reporters to seek clarity on the agent's condition: "It would be helpful to ask what type of treatment he received." David Reiter, a senior vice president at CBS News, cautioned that the phrase "internal bleeding" is imprecise: "I’m no doctor, but internal bleeding is a very broad term and can range in severity. A bruise is internal bleeding. But it can also be something serious. We do know that the ICE agent walked away from the incident—we have that on camera."
"Felt to many here like we were carrying water for the admin’s justifying of the shooting to keep our access to our sources," a staffer told the Guardian.
Other staffers told the newspaper they viewed the report as "a thinly-veiled, anonymous leak by [the Trump administration] to someone who’d carry it online." According to the reporting, network editor-in-chief Bari Weiss showed strong interest in the story during an editorial call.
CBS Response and Wider Coverage
CBS defended the piece, saying it followed "its rigorous editorial process." Several other outlets—including ABC News, NBC News and The New York Times—later echoed the reporting. Fox News cited the Department of Homeland Security in its coverage while acknowledging that key details remained unclear.
The story first appeared on Mediaite and was reported on by the Guardian based on the internal emails it reviewed.
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