Tue Dec 23 14:43:44 UTC 2025: ## CBS News Faces Backlash After Pulling Report on Controversial El Salvador Prison
New York, NY – CBS News is facing accusations of political interference after abruptly postponing a “60 Minutes” report on El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Centre (CECOT), a maximum-security prison where the Trump administration has deported immigrants. The report, which allegedly details abuses at the facility, was scheduled to air Sunday night but was pulled at the last minute.
CBS News claims the segment “needed additional reporting” and will air at a later date. However, Sharyn Alfonsi, the correspondent who reported the story, alleges in a leaked email that the decision was politically motivated. Alfonsi stated the report was “factually correct” and had cleared all internal checks, suggesting that pulling it after the fact constitutes a “political decision.” She argued that allowing the administration’s refusal to participate to halt the story effectively grants them a “kill switch” over unfavorable reporting.
The shelved report reportedly included allegations of torture against Venezuelan deportees sent to CECOT, raising questions about their characterization by the United States. CECOT has been at the center of controversy since March, when the Trump administration sent hundreds of migrants there despite a judge’s order to return them to the US. Released deportees have described repeated abuse at the facility.
The incident has fueled concerns that CBS News is shifting towards a more conservative editorial line under its new leadership, following Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of the network. Skydance, run by David Ellison, the son of prominent Trump donor Larry Ellison, has reportedly pledged that CBS News would reflect “varied ideological perspectives.” The company’s appointment of conservative media figure Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News has also drawn criticism.
The controversy arises amidst Paramount Skydance’s multibillion-dollar bidding war with Netflix to acquire Warner Bros Discovery, a merger reportedly watched closely by Trump, which would require regulatory approval.
Critics across the political spectrum have condemned the postponement. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer decried the incident as an attempt by Trump and his supporters to “shape what people see and hear.” Others in the media have expressed similar concerns about political censorship.
Despite the controversy, Weiss maintains the network will air the report “when it’s ready” and that holding stories is a normal practice in journalism.
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