CBS News Agrees Not to Edit 'Face The Nation' Interviews Following Homeland Security Backlash

[highplainsdem]

Source: Variety

CBS News is giving up the power it has to hold “Face the Nation” interviewees to account.

The Paramount Skydance news unit said Friday it would cease editing taped interviews with newsmakers who appear on “Face the Nation” following complaints from the Trump administration over an appearance on the show earlier this week when U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made a number of false or unproven statements about Kilmar Abergo Garcia, the Salvadoran man who was deported despite his having protected legal status in the United States. CBS News offered just a portion of the overall interview with Noem and made the full exchange available online.

-snip-

CBS News’ move is an unorthodox one, potentially leaving show moderators and producers unable to remove false statements or propaganda uttered by political operatives and officials and undermining the authority and credibility of Margaret Brennan, the moderator of the Sunday public-affairs program. The edict is also risky, potentially giving viewers the sense that Brennan is less able to question or challenge her guests — one of the main elements of TV’s Sunday political shows that bring viewers to them in the first place.

-snip-

But it also means “Nation” could become a home of live grandstanding by interviewees from either side of the political aisle who would rather spout talking points than answer a question. And it suggests there is a level of naiveté on the part of the new owners of CBS News, a group led by CEO David Ellison, about the nature of TV journalism and its service to viewers.

-snip-

Read more: https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/cbs-news-face-the-nation-interviews-no-edits-backlash-1236509301/

[sinkingfeeling]

1. White flags of surrender everywhere.

[twodogsbarking]

2. I like Margaret Brennan. They don't. Their problem.

[DBoon]

3. the new owners are NOT naive

Destroying fact-based journalism is their goal.

[Raven123]

4. CBS has been off my watch list since they capitulated to Trump earlier

[MaineBlueBear]

5. Yet another reason

to never watch.

[ChazInAz]

6. That's really idiotic.

What will they do when Senator Big John Mungpie from the darkest Florida panhandle drones on for two hours of a free association lie-fest?

[BoRaGard]

7. Disgraceful - shame on CBS

Brown Nose, Inc.

[aurora the great]

8. Ridiculous!

So what else is new. CBS bends the knee to appease the administration. I imagine that they don't want to hear Trump threaten to yank their broadcasting licence (like he does with ABC and NBC) as if he could. So what is next. CBS as state sponsored broadcasting. I shudder to think.Now the question I have to decide is do I cancel my Paramount + subscription. Anyone else taken this step or am I overreacting?

[LovelyStuff]

9. I already did . . .

I cancelled my Paramount + subscription right after CBS paid the bribe to the administration. And I'll miss it 'cause I love "Matlock", "Dexter - Original Sin", and "Dexter - Resurrection". Oh, well, back to Britbox. At least I can pick up Colbert on YouTube.

[Bigerhalf]

10. Now all three Sunday morning real news shows are corrupted !

Bright side - My Sunday mornings are now free.
But that is what you get with a two party system.
Plenty of other news sources just won't be the same.
Maybe time to go to a governing system like Canada uses.
Not perfect but they don't seem to have our problems.
Whatever, but when a guy like gaudy don gets elected twice ....

[Midnight Writer]

11. Wouldn't it be simpler (and more honorable) to just stop interviewing Republican shills?

[Fullduplexxx]

13. Republicans own the media so they probably wont

[Karasu]

16. As much as they've been selling this ridiculous myth that it's "liberal" for fucking decades now. To the point that

legions of uneducated and/or uninformed trash actually fucking believe it.

It's been such a pervasive part of their messaging for so fucking long that it's absurd.

[Fullduplexxx]

12. Live grandstanding that's it right there

[drmeow]

14. naivet on the part of the new owners of CBS News

Oh, it isn't naiveté - CBS is no longer intended to be journalism but instead is intended to be propaganda.

[Queso Delicioso]

15. Absolutely pathetic.

I'm both heartbroken and disgusted that they own the Star Trek franchise. I expect in a few years the Federation will look like the Ferengi.

[mntleo2]

17. Freaking Sow Dung!

...cancelled my Paramount Plus already, but I am disgusted with this whole network. I hope they go under!

Cat in Seattle

[Figarosmom]

18. Just refuse to have the liars on.

They know who is going to lie before asking them on the show. Just stop having them on. Have interesting people who tell the truth on.

[Paladin]

19. Just. Fucking. Unbelievable.

If the networks are going to cave in to the trump regime like this, why have news reports at all? Never in our nation's once-proud history have we been in more desperate need of accurate, hard-hitting, courageous news analysis---CBS might as well be pissing on the graves of Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Morrow. Puke-inducing cowardice.

[ificandream]

20. Trump wants all the networks to act like the Fox Propaganda Garbage Dump.

New motto for 2026 elections: MAKE AMERICA FREE AGAIN.

[ificandream]

21. There's nothing saying that moderators and reporters can't challenge these idiots.

Although I'm sure Trump and his minions will find some "logic" that their lemmings shouldn't be challenged. Hopefully, there are journalists who have some gumption left at the networks.

[Zackzzzz]

22. We stopped watching the Sunday Morning talk shows years ago

They were always interviewing people
I would never want to be seen with.
And there never was a both sides.
I remember yelling at the TV,
"Let them talk". {my side}

[Username1234]

23. Headline Rewrite: "CBS News decides to make itself into a perpetual lawsuit target for broadcasting defamation."

Fixed.