At the annual News and Documentary Emmys on Wednesday, Santiago Campos, a student journalist and recipient of the Mike Wallace Scholarship, delivered a powerful speech calling out CBS. The scholarship is named after the late 60 Minutes correspondent Mike Wallace.
Campos Calls Out CBS
While thanking CBS News for funding his education, Campos also acknowledged how the recent direction of the outlet tarnishes Wallace's legacy. He said, As corporate elites take hold over the very pipes through which our information flows, journalism that serves people becomes increasingly harder to come by, yet ever more crucial. His remarks drew cheers and applause from the audience.
Campos spoke just hours after news broke that CBS had declined to renew the contract of 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi. Late last year, Alfonsi criticized CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss after she initially pulled a segment on CECOT, the Salvadoran mega-prison where the Trump administration sent dozens of immigrants. The segment eventually aired weeks later.
Instagram Statement
On Instagram, Campos wrote that his remarks were meant to highlight the biggest threat to the news industry: capital and power. He stated, I believe in a media landscape that serves the masses, not the elites. He added, For me, that starts with having the audacity and integrity to call out the same organization funding my award. Because if we can't trust journalists to have that same audacity and integrity, how can we trust them at all?
Departures and Shake-Ups at CBS News
Since Weiss took over CBS News, several journalists have left or spoken out. Anderson Cooper announced he was leaving 60 Minutes as a correspondent to spend more time with his sons. Bill Owens, a top producer, resigned in 2025, citing lack of journalistic independence. Wendy McMahon, CEO of CBS News, also resigned amid the network's lawsuit with President Donald Trump over the editing of a 60 Minutes segment with Kamala Harris.
On Thursday, 60 Minutes experienced another shake-up. Senior executive producers Tanya Simon and Draggan Mihailoivich were ousted, along with correspondent Cecilia Vega. Nick Bilton, a former technology columnist at The New York Times, was named the new executive producer, despite reportedly having little broadcast experience.
