CBS Shelves Controversial 60 Minutes Segment Amid Viewer Outcry

NEW YORK, NY — CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss pulled a planned segment of “60 Minutes” just days before its scheduled broadcast, drawing both anger and intrigue from viewers. The segment, titled “Inside CECOT,” focused on reported abuses at a detention center in El Salvador where the Trump administration sent Venezuelan migrants.

The episode was noticed by Canadian viewers this past Monday when it was unexpectedly available on the streaming platform of Global TV, the Canadian affiliate of CBS. Viewers quickly shared clips on social media, leading to a viral reaction across platforms such as Reddit and Bluesky.

Sharyn Alfonsi, the correspondent for the piece, expressed disappointment at the decision to pull the segment. She believed it was a politically motivated choice rather than an editorial one. “We need to be able to get the principals on the record and on camera,” Weiss told CBS staff after the decision, emphasizing that the segment did not meet her standards for airing.

Discussion surrounding the piece became heated as CBS’s parent company, Paramount, began issuing copyright claims to remove unauthorized uploads of the clip. “This could wind up being the most-watched newsmagazine segment in television history,” said lawyer George Conway on social media.

The report from Alfonsi included harrowing testimonies from former detainees about their experiences in CECOT, which they described as a place of torture and abuse. Yet, the piece lacked comments from Trump administration officials, which Weiss claimed was critical for the segment’s credibility.

Human Rights Watch had previously reported on the conditions inside CECOT, further heightening interest in the story. Philippe Bolopion, the organization’s director, noted that the refusal of officials to speak on the topic should not inhibit reporting. “If the administration’s refusal to participate becomes a valid reason to spike a story, we have effectively handed them a ‘kill switch’ for any reporting they find inconvenient,” Alfonsi wrote to her colleagues.

Despite the decision to hold the segment, CBS acknowledged that the streaming incident had occurred due to a mistake in programming distribution. Weiss had requested a revised version of the segment, which aired on Global TV on Sunday night. Meanwhile, the original version being shared on social media prompted CBS to scramble to contain the unauthorized viewing.

The controversy over the segment is a reflection of broader tensions within news media regarding editorial decisions and the pressures applied by political figures. Weiss, having taken the helm of CBS News only recently, has faced questions about her approach and the implications it might have for the network’s future coverage.

As discussions continue and people hear more about the significant allegations raised in the segment, many are still waiting to see if the controversial report will be aired in the U.S.