60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi reportedly erupted in frustration during a tense meeting last week, sarcastically greeting her new boss, CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, with "It's so nice to finally meet you" before yelling at Weiss's deputy, Adam Rubenstein, "You don't get to produce me!"
The outburst stemmed from a month-long standoff over Alfonsi's investigative segment titled "Inside CECOT," which examined allegations of torture and abuse inside El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison involving Venezuelan migrants deported under the Trump administration. The piece, originally scheduled to air in late December 2025, was abruptly shelved by Weiss, who cited the need for additional reporting, including more balance such as the administration's perspective and context around elements like a prisoner's tattoo. Alfonsi publicly accused the decision of amounting to "corporate censorship" and a "political" move in an internal memo to colleagues, warning it turned the program into a "stenographer for the state" and handed the administration a "kill switch" on coverage.
In the confrontation, as Rubenstein relayed Weiss's editorial notes, Alfonsi reportedly rejected his involvement, accused him of acting as a "mouthpiece" for the Trump administration, and questioned whether he had ever produced television news before. The exchange highlighted deeper tensions at CBS News, where some veteran journalists have pushed back against Weiss's changes and leadership style since her appointment.
This incident comes amid broader reports that Alfonsi and other longtime figures like Scott Pelley could face job risks for resisting the network's editorial shakeups under Weiss.