The future of 60 Minutes faces renewed scrutiny after CBS News declined to renew correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi’s contract following a months-long dispute over a segment about conditions inside a Salvadoran mega-prison.

CBS News has taken a hard-right turn under the leadership of new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who has reportedly been directed by the new owners of its corporate parent, Paramount, not to offend President Donald Trump.

Alfonsi confirmed that her contract expired Saturday after weeks of silence from network executives regarding renewal negotiations.

“It sends a chilling message to the entire newsroom,” Alfonsi told the New York Times. “I think it was a deliberate choice to penalize a journalist for refusing to sanitize accurate reporting.”

CBS News declined to comment on Alfonsi’s remarks or her future with the network.

The conflict stems from a December editorial dispute involving a 13-minute 60 Minutes report on Venezuelan migrants deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador’s CECOT prison.

Weiss pulled the segment shortly before it was scheduled to air, arguing the reporting “was not ready.”

The segment eventually aired in January with additional comments from the Trump administration included in the final broadcast.

At the time, Alfonsi criticized the decision in an internal email, reportedly calling the move “political.” Some CBS executives privately viewed the message as insubordination.

Alfonsi defended her actions in the interview.

“I know they said that I was being difficult, but I believed I was doing my job,” she said.

She also signaled she has no plans to resign voluntarily from CBS.

“I’m not resigning,” Alfonsi said. “If they want me gone because I did my job, they’ll have to fire me.”

The dispute has intensified concerns inside the network about editorial independence at 60 Minutes, which has historically operated with substantial autonomy from CBS management. The program, launched in 1968, remains the highest-rated television news magazine in the United States despite broader declines in cable and broadcast news audiences.

“For the last 60 years, it’s been the same formula: Tell the truth, hold the power accountable, don’t blink,” Alfonsi said. “And it’s unclear what next season looks like.”

She added, “There’s a feeling that the wall has come down between editorial independence and corporate interests.”

Weiss, a former opinion journalist, took over as editor in chief after media executive David Ellison’s acquisition of CBS parent company Paramount Global. She has explored major changes to 60 Minutes, including shorter digital-first reports and live audience events centered around the show’s high-profile correspondents.

The turmoil surrounding the program deepened earlier this year when longtime CNN anchor Anderson Cooper announced he would leave 60 Minutes after 20 years.

During his farewell appearance, Cooper emphasized the importance of the show’s editorial independence.

“60 Minutes remains 60 Minutes,” Cooper said. “The independence of 60 Minutes has been critical. The trust it has with viewers is critical to the success of 60 Minutes.”