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Original article: “No es editorial, es político”: periodista de CBS denuncia censura por reportaje frenado sobre megacárcel en El Salvador
CBS Journalist Exposes Censorship After Last-Minute Cancellation of Report on El Salvador’s Mega Prisons
CBS abruptly halted a planned segment of 60 Minutes, which featured testimonies from Venezuelan men deported to the CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador. The last-minute decision sparked immediate backlash within the newsroom, igniting a public debate about editorial boundaries, political pressures, and the role of newsrooms when power chooses to remain silent.
According to POLITICO, the segment titled «Inside CECOT» was pulled at the request of newly appointed editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who mandated various additions, including an interview with Stephen Miller or another senior official from the Donald Trump administration. CBS later stated that the report would air «at a later date.»
However, the turning point was not merely the change in scheduling; it was the internal message conveyed. Veteran correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, who was overseeing the segment, condemned the decision as politically motivated.
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) December 21, 2025
Screenshot of CBS’s editorial notice: the network announced that the report «Inside CECOT» would not air tonight and will be part of a future edition of 60 Minutes.
Cancellation of Report on El Salvador’s Mega-Prison and Internal Disputes
The canceled segment focused on the CECOT prison and the deportation policies pushed by President Donald Trump, who reportedly sent immigrants to this facility despite reports of human rights violations. The report featured several released men recounting the conditions they endured inside the prison.
According to POLITICO, Weiss defended the decision to withhold the story in a statement made to the outlet: «My job is to ensure that all stories we publish are the best they can be… Withholding stories that aren’t ready for any reason—such as lacking sufficient context or failing to include critical voices—happens every day in newsrooms. I hope to air this important report when it is ready.» The editor maintained that delaying a piece due to insufficient context or missing key voices is part of routine editorial work.
The most striking blow came from Alfonsi, who stated that killing the story so close to airing was «not an editorial decision; it is a political one«. This phrase was part of a mail shared by The New York Times.
«The Government’s Silence is Not a Veto»
«The government’s silence is a statement, not a VETO«, Alfonsi wrote, adding that the refusal to grant interviews could be a maneuver «designed to kill the story». In other words, if it becomes standard that an investigation can only air with authorities speaking «on camera»—and leaving a record—then the authority effectively gains a practical mechanism to block any uncomfortable report.
In this context, Alfonsi warned —according to the same report— that if CBS’s new standard requires government interviews for segments to air, the government «effectively gains control over the 60 Minutes broadcast«. She ended with another internal warning: «We have been promoting this story on social media for days. Our audience is expecting it… the public will correctly identify this as corporate censorship«.
The correspondent also drew a comparison that directly targeted the program’s reputation: «We are trading 50 years of ‘gold standard’ reputation for one week of political calm». This message, interpreted as a call-out for corporate censorship, amplified the conflict beyond the newsroom.
Weiss’s Defense and the Debate Over Context and Critical Voices
During an editorial call held on Monday, Weiss spoke about trust between the team and the audience. According to POLITICO, the editor stated: «The only newsroom I’m interested in leading is one where we can have intense disagreements over the most complex editorial issues with respect and, crucially, where we assume the best intentions of our colleagues. Anything else is absolutely unacceptable».
Weiss reiterated that «Inside CECOT» was halted because it was «not ready». And, according to POLITICO, she remarked that the report included powerful testimonies concerning torture, but that «The Times and other outlets had already done similar work».
A Climate of Increasing Tensions at CBS
The episode adds to other recent controversies: in July, CBS announced a $16 million settlement with Trump over a lawsuit related to his appearance on 60 Minutes; following that settlement, the Trump administration approved CBS’s acquisition by Paramount Skydance.
According to POLITICO, Weiss—founder of The Free Press—was appointed editor-in-chief in October by David Ellison to «reorganize the newsroom». The outlet adds that Trump continues to express dissatisfaction with CBS, while Ellison seeks support from the administration in his intention to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.
In this context, the report on CECOT became more than just a segment: it turned into a thermometer of the conflict between editorial judgment, political power, and the true autonomy of journalism within a major network.
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