The hiring of New York Times conservative columnist Ross Douthat as a correspondent for CBS's 60 Minutes has stunned media observers, as he lacks any broadcast television experience and is known primarily as an opinion writer.
Surprising Appointment Amid Turmoil
Douthat's addition comes after the departure of veteran reporters including Scott Pelley, Cecilia Vega, and Sharyn Alfonsi, as well as Anderson Cooper, who left amid internal complaints of political bias infecting the show. The move aligns with the strategy of CBS News's new ownership led by billionaire David Ellison, who appointed Bari Weiss as editor in chief last October.
Pattern of Non-Traditional Hires
Weiss, who founded the conservative-leaning Free Press and previously worked as a New York Times opinion editor, lacked TV experience herself. She then chose Nick Bilton, another New York Times alumnus with no TV news background, as executive producer for 60 Minutes. Both hires reflect a shift toward ideological compatibility over traditional reporting credentials.
New York Times opinion editor Katie Kingsbury praised Douthat in a staff memo, noting his "religiously serious, intellectually restless conservatism" and calling him "right about things early, wrong about things honestly and never, not once, boring."
Ratings Decline and Viewer Backlash
Since Weiss took over, ratings at CBS News have plummeted, including at the evening news show where anchor Tony Dokoupil was installed. Scott Pelley accused Weiss of "murdering" 60 Minutes in a staff meeting, saying she was "brought in to kill it and she's been doing exactly that." His comments went viral and he was soon let go.
Other new contributors include Norah O'Donnell, Sebastian Junger, Gianna Toboni, and Trevor Phillips. Bilton described Douthat as "a thinker of uncommon rigor and a journalist of deep empathy."
Credential That Matters Most
Margaret Sullivan, a Guardian US columnist, writes that Douthat's hiring sends a clear message: at the CBS News of Bari Weiss and David Ellison, being a well-known conservative opinion journalist is the credential that matters most, regardless of TV or investigative reporting experience.
