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CBS News has come under scrutiny following its last-minute decision to pull a segment from its Sunday broadcast concerning the Trump administration's deportations of Venezuelan men to an El Salvador detention center. The move, attributed to top editor Bari Weiss, drew extensive criticism, notably from CBS correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, who reported the story and privately labeled the decision "political" in a leaked note to colleagues.
CBS had promoted the segment on social media ahead of its scheduled airtime on 60 Minutes, but said in a statement on Monday that the piece needed additional reporting.
The programme was set to document allegations of "brutal and torturous conditions" at the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador, known as CECOT.
The Trump administration had deported about 250 Venezuelan men there earlier this year, accusing them of being members of a dangerous gang.
News reports published since the spring, have documented allegations of abuse at the detention centre.
The 60 Minutes report, called "Inside CECOT", will air in a future broadcast, CBS News said in its statement.
"Holding stories that aren't ready for whatever reason - that they lack sufficient context, say, or that they are missing critical voices - happens every day in every newsroom," Ms Weiss said in a statement.
"I look forward to airing this important piece when it's ready," she said.
Ms Weiss told colleagues in an editorial meeting on Monday morning that the segment about the Salvadoran prison "did not advance the ball" and required more interviews.
"We need to be able to get the principals on the record and on camera," she said.
Ms Alfonsi, in her note to colleagues on Sunday, said her team had approached the White House, the State Department, and the Department of Homeland Security, but that government officials refused to be interviewed for the piece. The 60 Minutes segment had been approved by CBS lawyers and standards editors, she added.
