A long-delayed episode of 60 Minutes aired Sunday night, bringing to broadcast a controversial segment examining a high-security prison in El Salvador after weeks of internal debate at CBS News.
The segment, titled “Inside CECOT,” had been scheduled to air in December but was held by CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss, a decision that sparked a public and internal dispute within the network. When it aired this week, the core reporting remained intact, but additional introductory and closing material expanded the piece to nearly 17 minutes.
The report centers on men deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador, including individuals alleged to have gang ties, and their accounts of conditions inside the country’s sprawling terrorism confinement center. Interviews with deportees formed the backbone of the original segment and were unchanged in the version broadcast Sunday.
What differed was the framing. The updated cut included several minutes of new material at the beginning and end, adding statements from the White House and the Department of Homeland Security, along with further detail about the criminal records of some deportees. The broadcast also incorporated additional reporting on tattoos observed on one former prisoner, providing more context than earlier versions that circulated online.
Weiss delayed the segment in December after raising concerns about the process used to seek comment from the Trump administration and determining that more reporting was needed. An early version, which aired briefly in Canada, circulated widely on social media during the delay, intensifying scrutiny of the network’s decision-making.
The hold led to an impasse with correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, who had reported the piece and believed it was ready to air. In recent weeks, Alfonsi met with Weiss, CBS News president Tom Cibrowski, and senior “60 Minutes” leaders to resolve the issue. Additional reporting efforts included attempts to secure on-camera interviews with Trump administration officials, which were unsuccessful, though those officials appeared on other CBS News programs.
Network leadership said the segment aired once it met editorial standards, emphasizing CBS News’ independence and commitment to thorough reporting. Weiss, who became editor in chief in October following Paramount’s acquisition of her media company, has defended the delay as part of a broader effort to ensure accuracy and completeness, particularly on politically sensitive subjects.
Source: WSJ