New leaked emails have revealed the “huge internal concern” in the CBS newsroom over whether the network should push anonymously sourced claims about the injuries reportedly suffered by the ICE officer who shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.
The exclusive report, which was first published on X and then expanded into an article, claimed that the agent, Jonathan Ross, “suffered internal bleeding to the torso.” The claim, attributed to “two U.S. officials”, however, raised immediate skepticism in the newsroom, according to Guardian reporter Jeremy Barr.
According to internal emails seen by Barr, editorial doubts were raised before publication with some journalists questioning not only the thinness of the sourcing but the political implications of amplifying the unverified medical claim, given the incendiary nature of the incident.
In one email, a medical producer suggested clarifying the extent of Ross’s injuries, writing: “It would be helpful to ask what type of treatment he received.”
“I’m no doctor, but internal bleeding is a very broad term and can range in severity,” CBS News senior vice-president David Reiter wrote.
He added: “A bruise is internal bleeding. But it can also be something serious. We do know that the ICE agent walked away from the incident – we have that on camera.”
Speaking to the Guardian, one staffer said the report was viewed as “a thinly-veiled, anonymous leak by [the Trump administration] to someone who’d carry it online.”
Another added: “Felt to many here like we were carrying water for the admin’s justifying of the shooting to keep our access to our sources.”
Those staffers reportedly told the newspaper that the network editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, showed strong interest in the story during an editorial call.
CBS defended its reporting, saying it followed “its rigorous editorial process” while other outlets, including ABC News, NBC News and The New York Times went on to echo the reporting. Fox News cited the Department of Homeland Security in its report, while conceding key details remained unclear.
