CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss has reportedly been handed a “blank check” to promote the newly revamped 60 Minutes, following a turbulent stretch at the flagship program. The show’s 59th season, which premieres September 13, will receive an aggressive marketing push, according to Puck News’ Dylan Byers. Critics have accused her of steering coverage in ways that favor the Trump administration and Israel — allegations she has emphatically denied.
The Independent has contacted CBS News for comment. The allegations of interference and bias have coincided with the departure of several veteran 60 Minutes journalists. Scott Pelley was fired in June after reportedly accusing Weiss of “murdering” the flagship news program.
The previous month, Sharon Alfonsi was dismissed following a public clash with Weiss over the decision to pull a segment on a brutal Latin American prison. Anderson Cooper also left the program in May, invoking the importance of editorial “independence” in his final address. Late last month, CBS News announced a slate of new hires to fill the vacancies left by those departures.
Ross Douthat, the conservative New York Times opinion columnist and podcaster, and Norah O’Donnell, a CBS News senior correspondent, will serve as correspondents. O’Donnell, according to Status, has worked to “ingratiate herself with Weiss” and is now “being eyed for a major new role.” The flagship news program will also add contributors Sebastian Junger, the journalist and author of The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea; Gianna Toboni, a former senior correspondent at VICE News; and Trevor Phillips, a former Sky News host. CBS News also announced this week that Ariel Levy, a contributor to The New Yorker, will join the show as a contributor, rounding out the incoming class for the new season.
The upcoming marketing blitz — arriving less than a month before the premiere of the new season — underscores the “considerable expectations for the show amid the scrutiny over [Weiss’] leadership of the network,” Puck News reported. The season’s reception, the outlet suggested, is likely to serve as a “litmus test” for Weiss’ stewardship of CBS News. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
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