Longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi has publicly criticised CBS News management, accusing them of sacrificing journalistic integrity for political appeasement. Her contract with the newsmagazine has expired and was not renewed, following months of tension with Bari Weiss, who runs the division.
In a statement, Alfonsi said: “Fearless, independent reporting has always been the defining standard at 60 Minutes. Today, CBS management is abandoning that mission, choosing access journalism over accountability and protecting power rather than scrutinizing it.” She described her exit as “a deliberate choice to penalize a journalist for refusing to sanitize factually accurate reporting, and it sends a chilling message to the entire newsroom.”
The dispute dates back to December 2025, when a planned 60 Minutes segment on the Trump administration’s deportation of migrants to El Salvador prisons was pulled at the last minute. Alfonsi alleged the decision was political, aimed at currying favour with the White House. The segment later aired after her public complaints.
Alfonsi’s departure follows that of Anderson Cooper, who left 60 Minutes at the end of the last season. The developments come amid broader concerns about press freedom, with the Freedom of the Press Foundation sending a letter to Paramount CEO David Ellison warning that the proposed $111 billion merger with Warner Bros Discovery could lead to political interference in editorial decisions.
Former CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta described the situation as “pretty dangerous,” adding: “For Paramount, for CBS, to fire Sharyn Alfonsi from 60 Minutes is a very in-your-face move by people who don’t care very much about the First Amendment.”
