Opinion | The author's opinion does not necessarily reflect Sarah Palin's view.
Former CBS News employees have called for an independent investigation into a perceived discrepancy in Vice President Kamala Harris’s interview on “60 Minutes.”
“I think there should be an outside investigation,” one former journalist stated. “Obviously, there’s a problem here. If they care about journalistic integrity, they would conduct an investigation or release the full transcript.”
“Their credibility has been called into question and their impartiality has been called into question,” another CBS source said. “Don’t you need a full-throated review of what went wrong?”
The controversy arose when her responses to the same question differed between the “60 Minutes” broadcast and a promotional clip aired on “Face the Nation.”
“It seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening,” a Face the Nation interviewer said.
“Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region,” Harris said.
“We are not gonna stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end,” Harris told CBS when asked the same thing.
Critics, including Donald Trump, have suggested that CBS edited Harris’s responses to present her in a more favorable light, questioning the network’s journalistic integrity.
“Why is the answer to the same question so different?” a former CBS News employee questioned. “This needs to be answered. Was this answer the continuation of a longer answer or was it an answer that came much later in the interview.”
“’60 Minutes’ holds itself to the highest journalistic standards,” a former CBS staffer noted. “Releasing the transcript would answer everyone’s questions and it would allow them to stand behind the integrity of the story they broadcast.”
“The stakes are too high. It’s a presidential election. Trump is asking for the transcript and journalists are asking for answers,” the source added.
“A giant Fake News Scam by CBS & 60 Minutes. Her REAL ANSWER WAS CRAZY OR DUMB, so they actually REPLACED it with another answer in order to save her or, at least, make her look better,” Trump wrote.
“A FAKE NEWS SCAM, which is totally illegal. TAKE AWAY THE CBS LICENSE. Election Interference,” Trump concluded.
Despite the uproar, CBS has declined multiple requests to release the full, unedited transcript, prompting further calls for transparency to address concerns about ethical practices.
