CBS News leadership is under fire for a controversial last-minute decision to cancel a major investigative report about a notorious Salvadoran prison complex used by former US President Donald Trump to house deported migrants. The report was scheduled to air on the prestigious Sunday, December 22, 2025, edition of "60 Minutes" but was abruptly pulled and replaced with a segment on Mount Everest sherpas.
Political Meddling Alleged in Story Spiking
The investigative piece focused on the CECOT prison in El Salvador, a maximum-security facility championed by the country's right-wing leader, Nayib Bukele, as a tool against drug gangs. Human rights groups have long accused the prison of brutal conditions. The report gained particular relevance because the Trump administration sent hundreds of Venezuelan and other migrants to CECOT earlier in 2025, defying a US judge's order to return them.
In a damning internal note leaked to The Wall Street Journal, the report's correspondent, Sharyn Alfonsi, condemned the cancellation. "Pulling it now, after every rigorous internal check has been met, is not an editorial decision, it is a political one," she wrote. Alfonsi revealed the story had already been cleared by corporate lawyers before being "spiked." She warned that if an administration's refusal to cooperate becomes grounds for killing a story, it hands them a "kill switch" for inconvenient journalism.
Trump-Linked Ownership Under Scrutiny
The decision arrives amidst a significant ownership shift at CBS. Earlier in 2025, the network's parent company, Paramount, was purchased by the Ellison family, known for its closeness to Donald Trump. Larry Ellison, one of the world's wealthiest individuals, is a major Trump donor. His son, David Ellison, now leads Paramount and appointed Bari Weiss, a critic of mainstream media, as editor-in-chief of CBS News in October 2025.
This move fueled expectations of a more Trump-friendly editorial direction. The network stated the CECOT report needed "additional reporting." However, Weiss defended the delay in a statement to The New York Times, saying holding stories that lack context "happens every day in every newsroom" and promised to air the piece "when it's ready."
Broader Implications for Media Independence
The controversy erupts as Paramount Skydance is locked in a multi-billion-dollar battle with Netflix to acquire Warner Bros Discovery. Trump has expressed keen interest in this merger, which would require regulatory approval. Critics argue the shelving of a critical report on a Trump policy directly benefits the former president and signals a dangerous era of owner-influenced news.
The incident also revives tensions between Trump and "60 Minutes." The former president sued CBS in 2024, alleging the program edited an interview with Kamala Harris to aid her politically. The current situation raises profound questions about editorial independence and the impact of politically-aligned ownership on one of America's most trusted news institutions.
