Whither '60 Minutes'? A stunning week of revelations of discord at the iconic CBS News program has raised a host of questions, leaving people inside and outside the network wondering about its ultimate health.
A New Approach or a Demise?
'This is ‘60 Minutes,’' Harry Reasoner announced on Sept. 24, 1968, introducing his new CBS News show alongside fellow correspondent Mike Wallace. 'It’s kind of a magazine for television.' He added: 'We do think this is sort of a new approach.' More than a half-century and 58 seasons later, that same term is being deployed by CBS News leader Bari Weiss to explain sweeping changes: firing the top producer and two correspondents, among others, and installing a new chief with no TV broadcast experience. Now, one of the show’s most famous faces, Scott Pelley, is gone too, fired after a tense confrontation with bosses.
'We realize, of course, that new approaches are not always instantly accepted,' Reasoner said in 1968. Weiss’ 'new approach' has been met with biting criticism, and the turmoil has become a top news story, with competing narratives flying, none flattering to CBS News.
The Essential Question
Where does '60 Minutes' go from here? Can it stop being the story, get back to work, and retain its reputation for probing journalism and legendary success? Or is its famous ticking timer running out? To one prominent analyst, something had already evaporated: the perception that '60 Minutes' was untouchable.
'My first response is, it started in 1968 — not a bad run,' said Robert Thompson, director of Syracuse University’s Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture. 'Because it really does look like this is systematically deconstructing what the show was.' But he added: 'I don’t think we’re writing the obituary of ‘60 Minutes.’ There’s just too much value and voltage built into that brand.' However, he noted concerning signs: the show is suddenly down four correspondents, with three dismissed and Anderson Cooper leaving voluntarily. Pelley has also launched unsettling accusations: 'New management has instructed me to inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story,' he contended in a statement Tuesday.
Loss of a Legend
To Jeff Fager, former executive producer of '60 Minutes,' the loss of Pelley is a major deficit. 'I can’t imagine running ‘60 Minutes’ without Scott,' said Fager, author of 'Fifty Years of 60 Minutes.' 'His is the most remarkable body of work in the history of the broadcast. It’s hobbled without him.'
Internal Blemishes on Display
A dizzying week of public airing of dirty laundry continued Wednesday with Weiss’ remarks to staff about Pelley’s firing and his response. In a transcript seen by The Associated Press, Weiss began a morning editorial call by saying she was 'only interested in working in a newsroom that is built on trust and mutual respect.' 'That foundation was broken on Monday, and despite our attempts to engage with Scott Pelley and to find a way back, unfortunately we weren’t able to do so, and so we had to part ways,' Weiss said. Pelley countered with his own description: 'Bari Weiss knows what she said is not true. In the meeting on Tuesday, in which I was effectively fired, there was no effort to ‘find a way back.’'
Turmoil had been evident for more than a year after President Donald Trump sued the show over its editing of a 2024 interview with then-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. It became part of a broader upheaval at CBS News after Weiss was named editor-in-chief by parent company Paramount late last year following David Ellison’s arrival as corporate leader. Ellison’s company, Skydance, merged with Paramount, which later settled the Trump lawsuit for $16 million, angering some at '60 Minutes' and indirectly leading to the departure last month of popular CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert, who called the settlement 'a big fat bribe.'
Discord burst into public view last Thursday when Weiss and CBS News President Tom Cibrowski announced changes aimed at 'building a show that thrives in the 21st century.' They installed Nick Bilton, a former technology columnist and documentarian, as executive producer, replacing Tanya Simon, a 30-year veteran. Also let go were correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi, whose segment about Trump administration deportees in a Salvadoran prison had been abruptly pulled by Weiss before running a month later, and Cecilia Vega.
Four days later, a Monday morning staff meeting exploded into acrimony when Pelley confronted Bilton, saying he had little relevant experience. When Bilton told the meeting that 'Bari loves this institution,' Pelley countered, according to accounts: 'She’s murdering ‘60 Minutes.’ She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it and she’s doing exactly that.' That led to Pelley’s firing after a Tuesday meeting. Weiss and Bilton did not answer interview requests Wednesday.
Uncertain Direction
Reaction pinballed across the media industry. 'This is David Ellison’s ‘60 Minutes’ now,' CNN media critic Brian Stelter wrote. In her staff call Wednesday, Weiss praised some of Pelley’s work and promised Bilton would deliver 'unforgettable stories' in season 59 with the team still there and new people joining. There was no word on additions. A larger question is whether the disarray is more political or generational. Weiss and Bilton present changes as necessary to evolve.
Fager worries about that narrative. 'It hasn’t been running in place — that’s such a misunderstanding of the broadcast,' he said. 'We adapted on a regular basis. Every time there’s been a new leader, there has been significant evolution.' He acknowledged that change is necessary but remains concerned: 'I worry about it. I’ve always thought it’s fragile, and I don’t take it for granted.'
