Journalist responsible for the investigation, Sharyn Alfonsi, accused the director of a “political” and not editorial decision
The North American television network CBS aired a report on immigrant deportations that the new information director removed in December from the famous investigative journalism program “60 Minutes”.
The report from one of the most respected journalism programs in the United States about the deportations was shown on Sunday, after its abrupt withdrawal from the lineup triggered an internal dispute that became public, with the journalist responsible for the investigation, Sharyn Alfonsi, accusing the director of a “political” and not an editorial decision.
The report did not include video interviews with officials from Donald Trump’s administration, but contained statements from the White House and the Department of Homeland Security that were not part of the initially withdrawn report.
Some of the statements, which were reproduced in full on the “60 Minutes” website, were prior to December 21, when the report should have been aired.
“Since November, ’60 Minutes’ has made several attempts to interview key Trump administration officials on camera to talk about our reporting,” says Alfonsi in his investigation, adding that the requests were “refused.”
CBS stated that from the beginning it intended to air the report, which focused on deportees sent to the high-security CECOT prison in El Salvador, while information director Bari Weiss argued that before it was broadcast it should better reflect the government’s views and present additional information released by other media outlets.
Although it was removed from the lineup in December, Alfonsi’s original report was made available online in error, as CBS News had sent a version of the report to Global Television, the station that airs “60 Minutes” in Canada, which published it on its website.
The report contains interviews with immigrants sent to the Terrorist Confinement Center (CECOT), in El Salvador, as part of Donald Trump’s aggressive anti-immigration policy.
Two deportees in the released video report torture, beatings and other abuses; a Venezuelan man claims to have suffered sexual abuse and solitary confinement.
A university student said he was beaten and that upon his arrival the guards pulled out his tooth, reporting “hell”.
The report also includes testimonies from experts who questioned the legality of the hasty deportation of immigrants with pending court decisions.
Conclusions from Human Rights Watch are also presented indicating that only eight deported men had been convicted of violent or potentially violent crimes, based on data from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The decision to withdraw the report was met with widespread accusations that CBS management was protecting the President from unfavorable coverage.
Before being hired by CBS, Bari Weiss worked at The New York Times and became known for her criticism of woke culture and traditional media.
He later created his own media company, The Free Press.
CBS News hired Bari Weiss in October, purchasing The Free Press for approximately $150 million and naming her to lead the chain’s information, where she reports directly to David Ellison, executive chairman of Paramount Skydance, in an unprecedented way.
Ellison appointed Weiss with the mission of “modernizing content” and providing a “diversity of viewpoints” at a station often accused in conservative outlets of having a liberal bent.
Considered an ally of Trump, Ellison frequently appears with the President at public events, including UFC wrestling matches.
To secure federal approval for the merger between CBS owner Paramount and Skydance in July, Ellison’s team made commitments to the Trump administration to “modernize” CBS News, including appointing an ombudsman to handle complaints of ideological bias, according to US media.
