CBS News' awful Abdul El-Sayed article reportedly had Bari Weiss' hands on it
The article's headline deliberately linked the Michigan Senate candidate to 9/11.
On Monday, CBS News shared a social media post stating that Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, might face renewed scrutiny and fresh political attacks as the nation prepared to mark 25 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This was also the lead of the article titled "Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s deleted tweets on Sept.
11 attacks invite scrutiny of past remarks." The article's connection to 9/11 attacks drew criticism, particularly due to its lack of substantial evidence and the potential for Islamophobia, especially considering El-Sayed's tweets calling for outrage over COVID-19 deaths, similar to the 9/11 death toll, and acknowledging losses from the War on Terror.
However, this article is not merely a flawed piece that managed to bypass editorial scrutiny. A new report from Status claims it was specifically guided by the network's editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss. During a meeting, Weiss praised the article and advocated for tweaking the headline to specifically mention that El-Sayed had deleted tweets referencing the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Despite her not being deeply involved in the reporting process, her influence was evident. While some on staff raised concerns with the standards department, their efforts were unsuccessful due to Weiss' involvement. One source close to the story, though claiming the article was not "racist or Islamophobic," acknowledged the overt racism present.
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