CBS Anchor Forced to Explain Why Her New Boss Pulled a 60 Minutes Report at the Last Minute

CBS News anchor Jericka Duncan was placed in an uncomfortable spotlight this week when she had to report on a controversial decision made by her new boss — live on air.

During Monday night’s CBS Evening News, Duncan explained why a heavily promoted 60 Minutes segment suddenly disappeared just hours before it was scheduled to air.

The report focused on brutal conditions inside CECOT, a notorious megaprison in El Salvador where Venezuelan men deported during Donald Trump’s presidency are being held.

“Well, now to a story about CBS News,” Duncan said on air, pausing noticeably before continuing. She told viewers that the segment had been pulled at the last minute, despite being promoted to audiences.

According to Duncan, the report’s correspondent, Sharyn Alfonsi, was informed that CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss decided to hold the story because the Trump administration declined to take part.

That explanation didn’t sit well with Alfonsi. In a leaked email to colleagues, she warned that allowing officials to block stories by refusing interviews would give those in power a “kill switch” over investigative journalism.

Duncan then read statements from both Weiss and CBS News. Weiss said that holding stories happens regularly when pieces need more context or additional voices, adding that she expects the report to air once it is ready. CBS News echoed that message, saying the segment needed more reporting and would be broadcast in the future.

Behind the scenes, however, staffers say the situation is far more troubling.

Sources told CNN that Weiss — who founded the conservative-leaning outlet The Free Press before becoming CBS News editor-in-chief in October — initially approved the segment. It was reportedly screened multiple times, cleared by CBS lawyers, and approved by the network’s Standards and Practices team.

The reversal came only after Trump publicly attacked both 60 Minutes and Weiss’ boss, David Ellison, at a rally in North Carolina. Ellison, a Trump ally, is currently pursuing a major deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN, HBO, and several major entertainment brands.

Following Trump’s remarks, Weiss reportedly raised new concerns and pulled the segment just hours before airtime.

The report didn’t disappear entirely. It later aired on Canadian broadcaster Global News, but CBS quickly issued copyright takedown notices, drawing further criticism.

For many inside CBS News, the episode has raised serious questions about editorial independence — and left one anchor, live on air, to calmly explain why her own newsroom had become the story.