CBS News Changes Interview Policy Following Backlash to Kristi Noem Interview
CBS News is changing its Face the Nation interview policy after complaints from Department of Homeland Security Chief Kristi Noem.
Noem accused CBS of “shamefully” editing her response to a question about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the migrant man who was deported and jailed in El Salvador by the Trump administration, then finally brought back to the United States. The Trump administration initially admitted Garcia was deported as the result of an “administrative” error, but has continued to seek his deportation and accuse him of gang affiliations.
In a release, DHS said “more than 23%” of Noem’s interview ended up on the editing room floor. They published a comparison of Noem’s statement and the edited version.
Initially, CBS defended its actions in statement to The Hill, writing, that the interview was “edited for time and met all CBS News standards.” CBS News added that “the entire interview is publicly available on YouTube, and the full transcript was posted early Sunday morning at CBSNews.com.” CBS edited out an unsubstantiated charge Noem made against Garcia and his treatment of “small children” — something the government has never charged him with.
But on Friday, the network said it had a change of heart after listening to “audience feedback over the past week,” and announced its new policy “for greater transparency in our interviews.”
“FACE THE NATION will now only broadcast live or live-to-tape interviews (subject to national security or legal restrictions),” CBS News said in a statement. “This extra measure means the television audience will see the full, unedited interview on CBS and we will continue our practice of posting full transcripts and the unedited video online.”
CBS’s parent company, Paramount, recently agreed to pay President Donald Trump $16 million after he complained about the editing of a Kamala Harris 60 Minutes interview he claimed purposely made her look good. The settlement came as the Trump administration considered approving the $8 billion sale of Paramount to Skydance.
