CBS News is changing its policy when it comes to editing “Face the Nation” interviews following its recent sit-down with Kristi Noem.
“In response to audience feedback over the past week, we have implemented a 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),” a network spokesperson told TheWrap. “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.”
The abrupt editing changes were made after CBS CEO George Cheeks worked with CBS News President Tom Cibrowski to address the criticism and make sure it didn’t happen again, TheWrap has learned.
The Friday update also came after CBS News already defended itself from the DHS’s distortion claims following its initial Sunday interview with the Homeland Security secretary.
“SHAMEFUL: CBS attempts to whitewash the TRUTH about MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser and child predator Kilmar Abrego Garcia,” the department posted on X.
“Secretary Noem’s ‘Face the Nation’ interview was edited for time and met all CBS News standards,” CBS News representatives then responded. “The entire interview is publicly available on YouTube, and the full transcript was posted early Sunday morning at CBSNews.com.”
But after that statement on Tuesday, Cheeks consulted with CBS News chief Cibrowski to prevent a similar issue from occurring again, according to a source familiar with the matter. The new editing changes, which only apply to “Face the Nation,” were revealed on Friday morning.
Paramount CEO David Ellison also approved the changes, according to the New York Times. A representative for Cheeks did not comment. An Ellison spokesperson did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
The change also came after CBS News’ parent company Paramount Global secured approval from the Federal Communications Commission to merge with David Ellison’s Skydance Media. The merger had been mired in regulatory limbo as the FCC, under chairman and Trump ally Brendan Carr, investigated claims that a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris amounted to news distortion.
Paramount settled Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit that claimed it illegally distorted the “60 Minutes” interview for $16 million.
