Panic set in inside CBS News on Sunday night after right-leaning editor-in-chief Bari Weiss pulled a “60 Minutes” segment focused on illegal aliens—sending the Left into a full-blown meltdown.
The shelved piece was set to examine conditions for illegal aliens held at El Salvador’s infamous CECOT prison. But according to a leaked internal email, 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi fumed that the decision was a “political call,” not a legitimate editorial judgment—effectively confirming what conservatives have long argued about newsroom priorities when immigration narratives threaten to cut against the Left’s preferred storyline.
Weiss, however, blew the whining out of the water, saying the piece wasn’t ready for broadcast yet:
My job is to make sure that all stories we publish are the best they can be. Holding stories that aren’t ready for whatever reason — that they lack sufficient context, say, or that they are missing critical voices — happens every day in every newsroom. I look forward to airing this important piece when it’s ready.
Statement from CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss:
"My job is to make sure that all stories we publish are the best they can be. Holding stories that aren’t ready for whatever reason — that they lack sufficient context, say, or that they are missing critical voices — happens… https://t.co/hTqRkM2X04
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) December 22, 2025
It should be obvious why this mainstream trash program was focused on the prison; because left-wing trash media ‘journalists’ care more about people who are in our country illegally than American citizens. That’s also true for illegal alien criminals. Would be nice if someone, somewhere, who calls themself a journalist would ask their lefty colleagues why.
In any event, Weiss also addressed a call she held with staff:
Weiss addressed the backlash during a network-wide editorial call, saying she held the segment because “we simply need to do more,” according to a recording reviewed by the Wall Street Journal. [….]
She said the only newsroom she wants to run is one where editors can have “contentious disagreements” while assuming “the best intent” of colleagues — an implicit criticism of “60 Minutes” correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi.
“The only newsroom that I’m interested in running is one where we are able to have contentious disagreements about the thorniest editorial matters and do so with respect and crucially where we assume the best intent of our colleagues,” Weiss said on the editorial call on Monday.
Weiss objected because the piece did not include comment from the Trump administration, despite acknowledging that producers had already reached out—underscoring how process complaints are often weaponized when a story threatens to stray from the Left’s approved narrative.
The Times reported that Weiss first reviewed the segment Thursday and requested numerous changes over the following days, including asking producers to seek a fresh interview with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller or another senior Trump administration official.
Weiss also raised concerns about referring to the deported Venezuelans as “migrants,” noting they were in the US illegally, people familiar with the discussions told the Times.
That last point is guaranteed to send the Left into hysterics—but it needed to be said. For too long, liberal media outlets have deliberately manipulated language to advance a political narrative, swapping out reality for euphemisms. They aren’t “migrants.” They aren’t “undocumented.” They are in the country illegally, and the press knows exactly what it’s doing by trying to obscure that fact. The question now is whether a long-overdue reset to reality is finally underway.
Weiss also argued that the story had already been substantially covered elsewhere, noting prior reporting by New York Times, and said it was necessary to do additional work to get key principals on the record before moving forward.
“To me, our viewers come first, not a listing schedule or anything else,” Weiss said on Monday. “That is my North Star and I hope it’s the North Star of every person in this newsroom.”
Imagine that—actual journalism. Asking questions, demanding answers, and refusing to simply parrot the Democratic Party’s preferred narrative.
It’s rare, refreshing, and frankly overdue. Seeing even a brief departure from narrative enforcement and toward real reporting is a welcome change—and a reminder of what the press is supposed to do.
