Report: 2026 To Start With Increased Tension At CBS News

CBS News journalists reporting are circulating a petition urging Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison to protect the network's editorial independence following Editor in Chief Bari Weiss's decision to spike a "60 Minutes" segment on Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison.

The letter, obtained by The NY Post on Monday and set to be sent on Saturday, Jan. 3, is being signed by current and former CBS employees. An anonymous group of "prominent journalists" is organizing the effort, according to a source familiar with the initiative.

Weiss, hired by Ellison in October to bring more conservative perspectives to CBS News, pulled the segment hours before its scheduled Dec. 21 airdate. The piece featured correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi interviewing deportees who described brutal conditions at CECOT, where the Trump administration sent hundreds of Venezuelan men earlier in 2025.

David Ellison

Alfonsi accused Weiss of political interference, writing in an internal note that the decision was not editorial but political. She noted the story had undergone multiple rigorous reviews, including by CBS attorneys and standards teams, and that efforts to obtain White House comment had been made but declined. "If the administration’s refusal to participate becomes a valid reason to spike a story, we have effectively handed them a ‘kill switch’ for any reporting they find inconvenient," Alfonsi wrote.

Weiss defended the hold, stating the segment needed more context and voices, including from the administration, and that such delays are routine in newsrooms. She said she looks forward to airing the piece when ready.

The controversy highlights ongoing tensions at CBS News since the Paramount-Skydance merger and Weiss's appointment, amid broader concerns about editorial direction under the new ownership. A source familiar with the letter called it "not crazy," emphasizing the importance of journalistic independence, but noted the anonymity of organizers as unusual.