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CBS News retracts line after false smear under Bari Weiss-era leadership

journalismJul 28, 2026661,620

CBS News New York removed a line saying “thousands of 9/11 victims’ families” had asked Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stay away from the 25th remembrance ceremony after journalist Judd Legum reported the claim was false. The story centered on a petition by Giovanni Galante, whose husband died in the 9/11 attacks; the petition had more than 24,000 signatures as of Tuesday morning but organizers told outlets they estimated about 300 victims’ families had signed, based on informal word-of-mouth spread. Legum’s Popular Information report quoted Galante admitting there was no list verifying signatories were victims’ families and explaining the 300 figure was a rough estimate. After Legum contacted CBS News New York, the outlet amended its article to say the petition had “purportedly drawn thousands of signatures, including some victims' families.” A Monday post on the outlet’s page preserved the original caption before it was edited later that night, supporting Legum’s account.

Jared Holt
@jaredlholt.bsky.social

You could legit build a profitable media empire just by doing the opposite of Bari Weiss is doing at CBS News. She has an uncanny ability for identifying content that nobody wants

2446h ago
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