CBS boss doubles down on blocking immigrant torture story in email to staff
CBS News' newly-appointed right-wing chief, Bari Weiss, doubled down in an email to staff on her decision to delay a "60 Minutes" investigation into the way migrants President Donald Trump has sent to the Salvadoran CECOT megaprison are being tortured, some without having any criminal record or violation of the law whatsoever.
Weiss, who founded The Free Press, was given control of CBS as part of a Trump administration-approved merger between the network's parent company, Paramount, and Skydance.
"Right now, the majority of Americans say they do not trust the press. It isn't because they're crazy," wrote Weiss in the email, obtained by Prem Thakker of Zeteo News. "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. And sometimes it means holding a piece about an important subject to make sure it is comprehensive and fair. In our upside-down moment, this may seem radical."
"Such editorial decisions can cause a firestorm, particularly on a slow news week," Weiss continued. "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. No amount of outrage — whether from activist organizations or the White House — will derail us. 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."
The email triggered a fresh wave of outrage on social media.
"Is that what Stephen Miller told her to say?" wrote attorney Brad Moss. "Bari has no educational background in journalism, nor has she ever done hard-hitting news beats. But ok," wrote Georgia-based constitutional law professor Anthony Michael Kreis.
Despite Weiss's efforts to keep the "60 Minutes" story under wraps, it has been leaked and posted online, after a Canadian broadcaster aired it apparently by mistake.