Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Thursday sharply criticized CBS News Editor-In-Chief Bari Weiss following reports that Weiss allowed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to select his interviewer for a recent “60 Minutes” segment. Speaking with reporters outside the Capitol, Ocasio-Cortez questioned Weiss’s journalistic integrity, stating she could not recall any other foreign leader exerting such influence over American media.
Ocasio-Cortez Condemns CBS’s Actions
“That CBS situation is just a violation, I think, of any journalistic standards,” Ocasio-Cortez told Drop Site News reporter Julian Andreone. “So it doesn’t surprise me that Bari Weiss is letting elected officials, who should be held accountable by journalists and the free media, instead she’s doing things the other way around and letting her friends pick their interviewer.”
When asked whether any other foreign leader would be granted such control over U.S. media, Ocasio-Cortez replied, “I’ve certainly never heard of something like that happening, so I can’t name a precedent.”
Reports of Negotiation
The New York Post reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources, that Netanyahu only agreed to the interview after an “unusual ‘negotiation’” with Weiss. According to the report, Weiss personally arranged the interview and gave the prime minister a choice between CBS News’ chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett and veteran “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl. Sources claimed Netanyahu agreed only after Weiss granted him “a say in the matter.”
“Bari did what she had to do to secure the interview,” a source told The Post. “Bibi’s office picked Major over Stahl.” Another source added, “Major Garrett was a friendly face and a reliable choice because he would not challenge Netanyahu.”
CBS News responded with a statement: “It’s the editor in chief’s job to make decisions about bookings and interviews. Major is a world-class journalist and did a tough, fair, and news-making interview.”
This interview marked Netanyahu’s first with the American press since the onset of the war in Iran.
