CBS’s “Evening News” experienced a significant drop in viewership, losing over a million viewers in its first week under new anchor Tony Dokoupil. This decline, a nearly 25% decrease, occurred following the appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief, who has instigated a shift towards Trump-friendly programming. The program’s content has noticeably favored right-wing figures, and Dokoupil has invited numerous right-wing guests to speak on the show. Weiss has reportedly encouraged this direction, aiming for the network to “drive the news” rather than simply report it.
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A “60 Minutes” segment detailing the Trump administration’s deportation of Venezuelan immigrants to a harsh El Salvadoran prison was abruptly pulled from its scheduled broadcast. The network cited a need for additional reporting as the reason for the postponement, though a future release date has not been announced. Sources claim the decision came directly from editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, despite the story having already passed internal checks and being factually correct. This decision, following a previous settlement with Donald Trump, has sparked controversy and raised concerns about potential political interference in journalistic practices.
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A scheduled “60 Minutes” segment on El Salvador’s CECOT prison, featuring interviews with deported prisoners, was pulled from its broadcast. This decision follows Paramount Skydance’s appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News, which has drawn criticism regarding potential bias. The segment, focusing on the Trump administration’s deportation of migrants to CECOT, a prison known for alleged torture, had a teaser released before being removed along with a notice that the report would be released at a later date. This has sparked accusations of censorship and prompted discussions about the network’s editorial direction, with many commentators speculating on the reasons for the delay.
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A controversial “60 Minutes” segment on the El Salvador megaprison CECOT, which housed immigrants deported by the Trump administration, was abruptly pulled from the broadcast. An email from correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi alleges that the new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, made the decision, calling it a political move. The story had already passed legal and editorial checks and was ready to air, but Weiss reportedly cited a need for additional reporting, specifically an interview with Stephen Miller. The cancellation has sparked accusations of corporate censorship and a betrayal of journalistic principles, especially since the story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices.
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CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss pulled a planned “60 Minutes” investigative segment on allegations of abuse at an El Salvador detention center, citing the need for an on-the-record comment from an administration official. The story’s correspondent, Sharyn Alfonsi, condemned the decision, believing it was politically motivated and not an editorial one. Weiss defended her decision, stating the story didn’t “advance the ball” beyond what other news outlets had already reported. This occurred shortly after Weiss’s arrival at the network, which has drawn scrutiny due to her background and the network’s shift towards more conservative viewpoints.
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CBS News’ recent town hall featuring Erika Kirk, moderated by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, garnered significantly low viewership, drawing only 1.548 million total viewers, a 27% decrease compared to standard programming in the same time slot year-to-date. Despite the network’s efforts to promote the event, including social media hype and preview airings, the online interest was also limited, with the YouTube video of the event receiving a mere 105,000 views. This contrasts with Kirk’s appearances on Fox News, which drew significantly larger audiences, and has led to criticism of Weiss’s decision to moderate, with some CBS News staffers deeming it “embarrassing.” The event’s commercial breaks featured direct-response advertisers, raising questions about advertiser wariness of the special.
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CBS News is facing challenges securing guests willing to criticize Donald Trump, particularly under the new leadership of Bari Weiss. A recent “60 Minutes” episode on Trump’s pardon of Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance, highlighted this issue, as numerous individuals involved declined on-camera interviews due to fear of retribution. Former Justice Department officials, like Elizabeth Oyer, expressed concern over the use of presidential pardons, while CBS News faced criticism for its new editorial direction and a Trump-friendly CEO. This follows the controversial appointment of conservative commentator Bari Weiss and a recent interview with Trump.
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John Q. Hosedrinker