Anderson Cooper has announced he is leaving CBS News' 60 Minutes after nearly 20 years, marking the latest high-profile exit amid turmoil at the network under new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.
In a statement, Cooper said: 'Being a correspondent at 60 Minutes has been one of the great honours of my career. I got to tell amazing stories, and work with some of the best producers, editors and camera crews in the business. For nearly twenty years, I’ve been able to balance my jobs at CNN and CBS, but I have little kids now and I want to spend as much time with them as possible, while they still want to spend time with me.'
Cooper, who also hosts his own show on CNN, had been a correspondent for 60 Minutes through a cross-network deal since the 2006-2007 season. His recent work included reports on Covid-19 long-haulers and the wreck of the Clotilda, believed to be the last slave ship to land in the US.
His departure comes amid concerns over editorial independence at CBS News following the appointment of Weiss, an opinion writer with no prior broadcast experience, by new owner David Ellison. In December, Weiss ordered 60 Minutes to hold a report on the Cecot prison in El Salvador, arguing it lacked the perspective of the Trump administration, which had declined to comment.
Cooper joined CNN in 2001 and has covered major stories including the Iraq war, Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Lachlan Cartwright's Breaker newsletter first reported his impending exit.
