After CBS News New York was forced to amend a report that included a “baseless” smear of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the Bari Weiss-run outlet later “tried to cover their tracks” with subsequent moves, journalist Judd Legum reported Monday.
On July 27, CBS News New York published a report about an online petition with the following headline: “Thousands of 9/11 victims’ families are asking New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani not to attend this year’s solemn remembrance ceremony.”
The issue, as Legum flagged last week, was that the organizer behind the petition claimed that only 300 9/11 victims’ families had signed the petition. When pressed by Legum as to how they came up with the 300 figure, the petition organizer admitted it was an estimate and that they did not actually “go through the list and look at the names.”
CBS News New York amended its headline after being contacted by Legum for comment, and amended it a third time on July 28 to: “Petition from 9/11 families asks NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani not to attend remembrance ceremony.” CBS News New York's latest amendment, Legum argued, was also false.
“This version, which remains in [place] today, falsely suggests that the petition represents the view of 9/11 families as a group,” Legum wrote.
Furthermore, the story was picked up by CBS News’ main account on Instagram in video format, according to Legum, a video that would soon be “removed without explanation.” CBS News’ main account on X would also share a link to the original CBS News New York report about Mamdani before quickly removing that as well, according to Legum.
Legum claimed that a “source inside CBS News” told him that the network “took the post down” once they learned CBS News New York’s reporting “was inaccurate.”
“So why is the CBS News New York article still online if CBS News believes it’s inaccurate?” Legum asked.