• CBS News pulled a scheduled '60 Minutes' segment on El Salvador's CECOT prison just hours before airing.
• Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi claims the segment was removed for political reasons despite passing internal checks.
• The prison has faced allegations of abuse, particularly involving deported migrants from the U.S.
• The decision has drawn criticism from various media and political figures, raising concerns about censorship.
• CBS's new leadership, including editor Bari Weiss, is seen as influencing the editorial direction of the network.

CBS News recently faced significant backlash after it abruptly pulled a scheduled report on El Salvador's CECOT prison from its iconic "60 Minutes" program. The network announced just hours before the broadcast that the segment would not air, citing a need for "additional reporting," while replacing it with a different segment on sherpas working on Mount Everest, according to SCMP and Channel News Asia.

Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, who led the investigation, expressed her belief that the report was pulled for political reasons, having been cleared through rigorous internal review. In her note, she stated, "Pulling it now, after every rigorous internal check has been met, is not an editorial decision, it is a political one," according to Channel News Asia and Al Jazeera.

The CECOT prison, known for its harsh conditions, has been at the center of controversy due to its use as a facility for deported migrants by the Trump administration. Several former inmates have described brutal treatment within its walls. This situation intensified after the U.S. sent hundreds of Venezuelan deportees to CECOT despite a legal ruling against such actions, a point highlighted by Al Jazeera and SCMP.

The decision to pull the segment has been met with accusations of political interference, especially given the recent changes in CBS News' leadership, which include pro-Trump figures like editor Bari Weiss. Critics argue that this reflects an editorial shift towards a narrative that is more aligned with the Trump administration, as pointed out by Channel News Asia and Al Jazeera.

The national outcry surrounding CBS's decision has further escalated, leading to public statements from political figures. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the network's decision, stating, "A free press doesn’t kowtow to the president – it holds him accountable," which was reported in various media outlets including Al Jazeera and Channel News Asia.