By Brian Freeman | Monday, 22 December 2025 11:52 AM EST
CBS News’ decision to remove a “60 Minutes” segment from its latest episode that was scheduled to highlight conditions inside the El Salvador prison where the Trump administration has deported Venezuelan migrants drew sharp backlash from the segment’s correspondent, Sharyn Alfonsi.
Alfonsi pushed back against claims that the move was editorial in nature, stating in an email that “the story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices.”
“It is factually correct,” she wrote. “In my view, pulling it now — after every rigorous internal check has been met — is not an editorial decision; it is a political one.”
CBS News stated Bari Weiss, the new editor in chief, requested changes to the segment and indicated additional reporting was needed. However, Alfonsi noted that relevant government agencies and the White House did not respond when asked for comment.
“Government silence is a statement,” she wrote. “Their refusal to be interviewed is a tactical maneuver designed to kill the story.”
Alfonsi added that the program had promoted the story on social media for days and that viewers were expecting it to air. “When it fails to air without a credible explanation, the public will correctly identify this as corporate censorship,” she said.
“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.”
“I care too much about this broadcast to watch it be dismantled without a fight,” Alfonsi concluded.
