Bari Weiss shakes up ‘60 Minutes’ with a new executive producer; Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi exit

The venerable information journal “60 Minutes” is present process a significant overhaul below CBS Information Editor in Chief Bari Weiss, who employed a brand new govt producer and ousted two correspondents.

Weiss introduced Thursday the appointment of a brand new govt producer to interchange Tanya Simon, a 26-year veteran of this system who took excessive job in July. She can be changed by Nick Bilton, a former New York Instances expertise columnist and documentary filmmaker.

Weiss additionally fired “60 Minutes” correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi, who clashed together with her boss over a section on President Trump’s immigration insurance policies, and Cecilia Vega, who joined this system in 2023.

Bilton would be the first govt producer within the 58-year historical past of “60 Minutes” to return from outdoors the tightly-knit group. This system has solely had 4 leaders in its historical past — Don Hewitt, Jeff Fager, Invoice Owens and Simon — all of whom got here up via the ranks of CBS Information.

Weiss is claimed to have developed a strong relationship with Simon, whose late father Bob Simon was a extremely revered correspondent for this system. However the connection apparently deteriorated after Weiss didn’t obtain advance discover of Anderson Cooper’s sign-off from this system, ending his practically 20-year run as a correspondent.

Cooper, who can also be a full-time anchor at CNN, turned down a brand new “60 Minutes” deal from Weiss. Throughout his ultimate look, he expressed fears in regards to the editorial independence of this system.

“Issues can all the time evolve and alter, and I feel that’s superior, and issues ought to evolve and alter, however I hope the core of what ’60 Minutes’ is all the time stays,” Anderson advised viewers. “I feel the independence of ’60 Minutes’ has been important.”

Hypothesis over modifications at “60 Minutes,” the most-watched information program on tv for 52 consecutive years, have been swirling for months since Paramount Chief Govt David Ellison put in Weiss to supervise editorial content material at CBS Information.

This system has been in turmoil since October 2024, when President Trump filed a $20-billion lawsuit towards CBS over an interview carried out with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. That go well with was settled to clear the regulatory path for Skydance Media’s acquisition of Paramount.

However from a enterprise standpoint, “60 Minutes” is a curious goal for a revamp. This system is likely one of the most worthwhile hours on the CBS prime-time schedule whereas retaining its standing as tv’s most prestigious journalism operation. Whereas the scores for “60 Minutes” get a lift from a lead-in from high-rated NFL late-afternoon video games, it stays one of many few community exhibits that viewers make an appointment to look at.

The section that doomed Alfonsi, “Inside CECOT,” detailed the Trump administration’s remedy of a whole bunch of Venezuelan migrants who had been deported to an El Salvador jail identified for its harsh situations. The section was scheduled to run Dec. 21 however was pulled the day earlier than air by Weiss, who believed it wanted extra reporting, together with a direct response from the administration, which didn’t take part.

Alfonsi, the “60 Minutes” correspondent who labored for months on the piece, protested the transfer by Weiss, calling it politically motivated in an electronic mail she despatched to colleagues.

The story ultimately ran on Jan. 18 with none substantial modifications to its tone or reporting. Weiss acknowledged internally that pulling the section after it had already been promoted was a mistake.

However Alfonsi stated publicly that she absolutely anticipated to be let go from this system. Her contract ended with the just lately concluded TV season.

Alfonsi first joined as a correspondent by CBS Information in 2002. She left for ABC Information in 2008 however returned to CBS in 2013 and joined the flagship version of “60 Minutes” in 2015.