Bari Weiss, the newly named editor-in-chief of CBS News, plans to create a masthead for the network as part of an overhaul of standards and procedures amid turmoil over a scuttled "60 Minutes" segment, a source told Axios.
The masthead is meant to drive a more streamlined hierarchy and set of processes across show and news gathering teams that are intended to prevent disparate editorial procedures and standards, Axios reported.
A CBS News segment about Venezuelan men detained in El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison after being deported by the Trump administration is drawing backlash after it was blocked from airing in the United States but appeared in Canada and circulated widely online.
Weiss pulled the report, titled "Inside CECOT," from running on "60 Minutes," arguing the story was not finished.
"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," Weiss said in a statement. "I look forward to airing this important piece when it's ready."
Weiss complained the story didn't include any of the three on-the-record statements from the White House, State Department, and Department of Homeland Security.
None of the comments were included in the piece that aired in Canada.
The segment notes the Department of Homeland Security declined a request for an interview, deferring all questions to El Salvador, even though DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin responded with a 300-word comment, Axios reported.
Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi reportedly took a different view, suggesting the move was driven by politics rather than editorial concerns.
"Our story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices," Alfonsi wrote in an internal email. It is factually correct.
"In my view, pulling it now, after every rigorous internal check has been met, is not an editorial decision, it is a political one," Alfonsi added.
"We requested responses to questions and/or interviews with DHS, the White House, and the State Department. Government silence is a statement, not a VETO. Their refusal to be interviewed is a tactical maneuver designed to kill the story," Alfonsi continued.
The new masthead aims to provide all of CBS' news shows, not just "60 Minutes," to provide more visibility to senior editors ahead of sensitive segments, Axios reports.
Weiss did not see the segment until two days before airtime, causing correspondent Scott Pelley to gripe she had missed earlier screenings of the segment.
"It's not a part-time job," Pelley said at a meeting, according to the New York Times.
Weiss joined CBS earlier this year after Paramount Skydance acquired her publication, The Free Press.
Prior to taking the helm at CBS News, Weiss was known for publicly quitting her position as a New York Times columnist after accusing the outlet of groupthink and partisanship.
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