Media News Daily: Top Stories for 01/19/2026

Trump Threatens Legal Action If CBS Cuts Interview

President Trump, via White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, threatened legal action against CBS News if a recent 13-minute interview was edited before broadcast. After taping with “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil, Leavitt relayed Trump’s message warning CBS not to alter the footage. CBS aired the segment in full, later stating it had independently decided to do so. The tension reflects Trump’s history with the network, including a $10 billion lawsuit filed in 2024 over edits to a Kamala Harris interview, settled last year for $16 million. During the latest interview, Trump criticized Harris and referenced CBS’s new owners, David and Larry Ellison. (Read More) The Hill Rating

’60 Minutes’ Finally Airs Controversial Trump Deportation Segment

CBS’s “60 Minutes” has aired a previously pulled segment investigating Trump-era deportations to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison. The story by correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi had been removed from the Dec. 21 episode by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, prompting internal backlash. Alfonsi accused Weiss of making a politically motivated decision. Weiss contended the segment lacked sufficient representation of the administration’s perspective and recycled old reporting. Alfonsi made no mention of the controversy during the revised broadcast. (Read More) Associated Press Rating

CBS Comedians Publicly Criticize CBS News Leadership

CBS’s own stars are speaking out against perceived chaos within CBS News, aimed at editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. During the Golden Globes broadcast, comedian Nikki Glaser mocked the network as “B.S. News,” while late-night legend David Letterman called CBS News a “wreck” in an emotional YouTube interview. Their remarks follow a New York Times exposé highlighting internal blunders, including a script mishap that disrupted Tony Dokoupil’s debut as anchor. The report also cited Weiss’s push for “viral potential” in each broadcast, sparking concerns about sensationalism over journalistic integrity. (Read More) MediaPost Rating