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The New York Post editorial board has made a bold recommendation for CBS News, urging the media outlet to tackle its perceived “lefty-propaganda problem” by severing ties with Bill Owens, the executive producer of “60 Minutes.” This call to action follows recent controversies surrounding the network’s coverage and editing choices.
Earlier this week, Brendan Carr, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), criticized CBS News after the network released the unedited transcript of its interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The transcript highlighted selective editing in the broadcast, revealing that CBS aired only part of Harris’s response to questions regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not “listening” to the Biden administration.
In a clip previewed on “Face the Nation,” CBS featured the first segment of her response, while the primetime special showcased only the latter part. This editorial decision raised questions about the integrity of their journalism.
In October, Donald Trump filed a substantial $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News, accusing the network of election interference. His claim suggests that CBS facilitated his Democratic rival’s campaign through what he labeled as deceptive editing right before the election.
The New York Post editorial board emphasizes the urgent need for reform at CBS News. They strongly believe that the network must eliminate the “partisan rot” that they claim has infiltrated its operations. The board specifically calls for the dismissal of Bill Owens, arguing that his editorial choices have consistently fallen short.
They stated, “Like many legacy media operations, it needs to clear out the partisan rot. It can start by booting ‘60 Minutes’ head producer Bill Owens, who has made too many bad calls.” The editorial board criticized Owens for editing Harris’s interview in a way that obscured the coherent nature of her responses.
The editorial continued: “Owens informed his staff that the editing was ‘perfectly fine’ and insisted that he would not apologize for their decisions.” Such remarks further fueled criticism regarding CBS’s approach to editorial integrity.
Labeling the decision to hide the true nature of Harris’s answers as “deception,” not journalism, the board articulated their concern about public trust in media. They remarked, “Viewers likely would have remained unaware of the deceptive practices had CBS not released her complete response in a promotional segment.”
The editorial board also pointed to previous biased reporting overseen by Owens, including a segment on the Gaza conflict. They accused “60 Minutes” of promoting misleading narratives which advanced the idea that Israel was obstructing humanitarian aid, while failing to disclose the extremist affiliations of certain advocates they featured.
In response to one particular segment, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) criticized CBS for their one-sided portrayal of the U.S. role in the Israel-Hamas conflict. The AJC stated that the segment played directly into the hands of those who wish to undermine support for Israel, labeling it as shockingly inaccurate and dangerously misleading.
The AJC further criticized the segment for its minimal reference to Hamas’s provocations, describing their fighters as “militants” rather than terrorists and suggesting that peace should have been sought instead of self-defense following the October 7 attack.
Given the backdrop of the Harris interview and the Gaza report, the New York Post editorial board asserted that significant changes must occur at CBS News. They stated, “Axing Bill Owens won’t instantly restore CBS News’ reputation; many factors contribute to the erosion of public trust in mainstream media today. However, dismissing those who have shown blatant partisanship is a crucial first step.”
CBS News has yet to issue a comment regarding these allegations or the editorial board’s recommendations. As scrutiny of newsroom practices intensifies, the conversations surrounding editorial responsibility and media integrity will remain at the forefront.
This report includes contributions from Joseph A. Wulfsohn of Fox News Digital.
