NEW YORK (VINnews) — A conservative activist applauded CBS News’ decision to postpone a “60 Minutes” segment on El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison, calling the original report a “slanted” attack piece while crediting the network’s new leadership for pushing toward fairer journalism.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Ned Ryun, founder and CEO of American Majority, a conservative political training organization, made the comments during an appearance on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime.”
Ryun said he viewed the segment when it briefly aired on Canadian television after being pulled from the U.S. broadcast schedule.
“I actually saw it when it aired on Canadian TV. This piece was exceedingly slanted, was not even-handed at all,” Ryun said.
He accused remnants of “leftists from the old CBS” of attempting to act as “attack dogs against their political enemies instead of doing actual investigative reporting.”
The segment, titled “Inside CECOT,” focused on allegations of harsh conditions faced by Venezuelan migrants deported by the Trump administration to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador. CBS pulled it hours before its scheduled Sunday airing on Dec. 21, citing the need for additional reporting.
Ryun praised CBS Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss for the move.
“To her credit, editor Bari Weiss is saying ‘we’re not going to do that anymore, we’re actually going to try and be even-handed in regards to reporting’ because I truly believe that’s what the American people are owed,” he said.
Ryun argued that a free press should present facts objectively.
“When we talk about a free and honest press, we are actually supposed to have a press that reports the news and all the facts, that lets the American people decide for themselves, instead of being force-fed propaganda,” he added.
The decision to delay the segment has sparked internal backlash at CBS, with some staff and the segment’s correspondent, Sharyn Alfonsi, reportedly questioning the timing. Weiss has defended the postponement, stating the story required more context and on-camera responses from administration officials.
Parts of the segment circulated online after briefly appearing on Canada’s Global TV streaming platform.
Hear that FOX NEWS – Ryun argued that a free press should present facts objectively.