Bari Weiss Says Pulling 60 Minutes Story May Seem Radical, but Necessary for Integrity of the News

Bari Weiss is defending her choice to pull a 60 Minutes story again, this time citing her decision’s seemingly “radical” nature as necessary to restoring Americans’ trust in news.

In a memo sent to staff and signed by Weiss, CBS News president Tom Cibrowski and editors Charles Forelle, and Adam Rubenstein, the CBS News editor-in-chiefsaid her last-minute decision to pull a story about the experiences of Venezuelans deported to an El Salvadorin prison by the Trump Administration was among the kinds of “necessary” editorial decisions for the newsroom, even if it “can cause a firestorm.”

“No amount of outrage — whether from activist organizations or the White House — will derail us,” the memo reads. “We are not out to score points with one side of the political spectrum or to win followers on social media. We are out to inform the American public and to get the story right.”

She continued, attributing a decision that “may seem radical” to our current “upside-down” political news moment. “Such editorial decisions can cause a firestorm, particularly on a slow news week. And the standards for fairness we are holding ourselves to, particularly on contentious subjects, will surely feel controversial to those used to doing things one way. But to fulfill our mission, it’s necessary.”

Weiss ultimately defended the move, which saw her hold the story after Trump administration officials did not provide on-camera comment for the story, as a decision to restore “the integrity of the news,” an act that is both “difficult” and “important.” She also seemed to allude to other criticisms around her editorial choices since taking the helm at CBS News, while noting that the newsroom will “have to work hard” to win back Americans’ amid declining trust in news media.

“To win back their trust, we have to work hard. Sometimes that means doing more legwork. Sometimes it means telling unexpected stories. Sometimes it means training our attention on topics that have been overlooked or misconstrued,” she wrote. “And sometimes it means holding a piece about an important subject to make sure it is comprehensive and fair.

The CBS News editor has continued to face a wave of internal and public criticism around her last-minute decision to pull the story from correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, which was produced by Oriana Zill de Granados. Weiss initially defended the decision just days ago in a company call — and before the segment, “Inside CECOT,” streamed through Global TV, the network that has rights to 60 Minutes in Canada despite having been pulled in the U.S. The clips were shared on social media, where they picked up attention.

Following the initial news of her shelving the segment, Weiss pointed again to trust, including trust within the newsroom. “I want to say something about trust: our trust for each other and our trust with the public,” she said at the time. “The only newsroom I’m interested in running is one in which we are able to have contentious disagreements about the thorniest editorial matters with respect, and, crucially, where we assume the best intent of our colleagues. Anything else is absolutely unacceptable.”

In response to Weiss’ decision and comments, Alfonsi sent her colleagues at 60 Minutes a message, challenging Weiss’ decision and depiction of the story’s vetting. “Our story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices.It is factually correct,” Alfonsi 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.”

This marks the latest controversy around Weiss’ editorial decision-making since Paramount acquired her publication, The Free Press, and she took on the role of editor-in-chief of CBS News earlier this fall.

Weiss is seeking to remake CBS News with the full support of Paramount CEO David Ellison, to whom she reports. The journalist has been quick to point out that most Americans don’t trust the media, and has said (as has Ellison) that they believe there is an underserved audience that is not extreme right or extreme left.

–Alex Weprin contributed to this report.