CBS News Faces Criticism Over Story on Abdul El-Sayed

CBS News has come under fire for a story about Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, which was produced under the direction of newly appointed boss Bari Weiss. The article, titled 'Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed's deleted tweets on Sept. 11 attacks invite scrutiny of past remarks,' has been criticized for its perceived Islamophobic undertones.

Status News reported that Weiss praised the story during an editorial meeting and requested a headline change to emphasize El-Sayed's deleted posts and their connection to the September 11 attacks. This decision has sparked outrage among CBS staff and readers, who found the framing of the story to be shamelessly racist.

The tweets in question, which El-Sayed deleted along with all his posts prior to 2023, included comparisons between the deaths from the September 11 attacks and the COVID-19 death toll, advocating for a public health response similar to the post-9/11 mobilization. Critics argue that the intent of the article was to create a negative association between El-Sayed and September 11, rather than to provide a fair analysis of his statements.