Former "60 Minutes" correspondent alleges editorial pressure at CBS News
Cecilia Vega, a former correspondent for "60 Minutes," said CBS News executives urged her to add politically charged or inaccurate material to three reports before she was dismissed.
Cecilia Vega, the first Latina correspondent on "60 Minutes," told attendees at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists conference that she was fired in May after CBS News management asked her to incorporate material she considered political talking points or misinformation into three separate stories. Vega said the requests came after new executives began attending editorial screenings and offering feedback on the program.
She described a disputed segment on the May shootings of Rene Good and Alex Pretti, in which management wanted to include footage of protesters attacking alleged ICE agents and a purported quote from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey about police confronting federal agents. Vega said her team found no evidence of either and labeled the claim "misinformation."
In a second case, she said she was instructed to open a report on the U.S. conflict with Iran with the line, "Who is winning the war? Iran is totally outgunned by the United States and Israel," which she identified as a White House talking point.
A third disagreement involved a story on SNAP benefit cuts in West Virginia. Management suggested adding commentary from Vice President JD Vance or an expert on his book "Hillbilly Elegy," despite the book’s focus on Ohio and its decade-old publication.
Vega said none of the suggested changes appeared in the final broadcasts and that she was not given a specific reason for her termination. CBS News declined comment to the reporting outlet, and previously described Vega’s allegations as unfounded. "What's being called 'editorial interference' is in reality the job description of an editor in chief," CBS chief executive Bari Weiss told the Wall Street Journal.