In his “60 Minutes” interview, President Donald Trump He called Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer a “kamikaze,” complained about investigators searching his wife’s closet, spoke at length about ending the war, and turned the tables on interviewer Norah O’Donnell, who asked about safety in Washington, D.C.
Those watching the CBS television broadcast Sunday night saw nothing of the sort.
Less than half of O’Donnell’s interview on Friday actually aired. But CBS posted the full transcript and video of the 73-minute debate online, allowing viewers to see for themselves what the president said that the network deemed worthy of inclusion in the 28-minute on-air segment.
It gave viewers a rare look inside the editorial process at one of journalism’s most storied institutions, showing the many clarity and newsworthiness decisions made to tell the stories we see on TV.
Beyond “60 Minutes,” the process is essentially the same across the world of journalism, from local newspapers to the New York Times, professional websites to the Associated Press. So, just like the old idea that everyone is a critic, this movement allows everyone to be an editor.
Contrasting with how “60 Minutes” has functioned throughout its history
The release of Trump’s “outtakes” contrasted with CBS’s handling of his “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris last fall. playing cards sued CBSclaimed that the interview with the Democratic opponent was deceptively edited based on two different clips that aired in a news magazine and on “Face the Nation.”
CBS did not release the transcript of Harris’ interview. 4 monthsAnd it wasn’t until the Trump-controlled Federal Communications Commission applied public pressure. Routinely, “60 Minutes” and most journalists do not publish raw material in this way.
A former “60 Minutes” producer said if CBS News is going to change its practices regularly in the future, it should be upfront with viewers about it. Tom Bettag, who worked at the station in the 1980s and is now a journalism professor at the University of Maryland, said it’s a product of the times we live in, but there are downsides to the way people are involved in editing.
“I think there’s a good reason not to let people do that, to avoid the argument of ‘I should have done this’ or ‘I should have done that,'” Bettag said. “The assumption was that the audience trusted you to make good decisions and be fair.”
From the beginning, Trump’s edited interviews showed a clear difference from the live ones. On air, O’Donnell’s interview began with a discussion of the government shutdown. But once they actually sat down, she first asked the president about his just-concluded meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
This is essentially the request that journalists make every day when producing reports. Choose the material to highlight that you think is most newsworthy or of interest to most people.
Brian Stelter wrote about the “60 Minutes” interview in CNN’s “Trusted Sources” newsletter: “The most newsy part aired. That’s why we edit the show from the beginning.”
The first words out of Trump’s mouth — “It’s the Democrats’ fault” — came before Mr. O’Donnell had finished his question. It was a clear indication of where President Trump was going, and the broadcast interview reflected that. However, it was edited several times for length to avoid deviations or repetitions of partisan attacks.
Trump said of Schumer, “He would rather see the country fail than see Trump and the Republican Party do well,” a comment that was not included in the broadcast.
On the cutting room floor: President Trump says O’Donnell ‘should be ashamed’
Trump also said O’Donnell “should be ashamed” of asking her about political retaliation. It was taken off the air. Trump’s complaints against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey were omitted, but comments that James was a “grossly dishonest person” were left in place.
“I was struck by how much of the interview was not aired and was often abusive and confusing,” wrote journalist Rick Ellis, who painstakingly compared the transcript of the full interview with what CBS broadcast for its website. all screens.
Ellis said Trump brought up his predecessor, President Joe Biden, more than 40 times in interviews, but only six were aired. The headline for Ellis’s article was, “60 Minutes edits (mostly) crazy parts of interview with Donald Trump.”
CBS edited several fact checks into the “60 Minutes” article, most notably adding military officials’ rebuttals to President Trump’s claims that China and Russia are testing nuclear weapons. There were also some missed opportunities, such as President Trump’s advocacy. can win All of the legal “nonsense thrown at me”.
CBS deleted an exchange in which Trump asked O’Donnell if she felt safer in Washington, D.C., after the president ordered the National Guard to patrol the city during a discussion about urban crime. Journalists generally prefer not to focus on themselves.
“Do you see the difference?” Trump asked her.
“I think I worked too hard,” O’Donnell said. “I don’t get out much.”
“60 Minutes” noted that O’Donnell’s interview took place exactly one year after Trump filed a lawsuit over the Harris interview. However, President Trump’s discussion was removed from the broadcast. management change Since joining Paramount, the parent company of CBS. agreed to pay him $16 million to settle the lawsuit.
“They paid me a lot of money for that,” Trump said. “There can’t be fake news. There has to be legitimate news. And I think that’s happening.” He praised Paramount’s new leadership, along with the new editor-in-chief of the news department and Free Press founder. Bari Weiss.
That editorial decision angered Trump’s criticsTim Miller of the Bulwark website. “’60 Minutes’ did not air a segment in which President Trump discussed his success in extorting the network and called it fake news. This editing is harmful to me and I am considering a lawsuit.”
CBS’s edits appear to have resulted in fewer complaints from Trump supporters. The White House’s “rapid response” X-feed posted copies of both the full interview and what CBS broadcast.
Jorge Bonilla, writing for the conservative media watchdog group NewsBusters, wrote that O’Donnell’s first interview with the magazine contrasted with his “debacle” with Leslie Stahl five years ago, when Trump resigned.
“Apparently the Bari Weiss era has arrived at CBS News,” he wrote.
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David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for The Associated Press. please follow him http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social
