What's happened
CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss has been pushing changes at 60 Minutes, aiming to break down silos and broaden the show’s staffing. Recent interviews and pivotal bookings, including Netanyahu, have sparked friction with veteran correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi and others, as networks weigh how to balance editorial independence with high-profile access.
What's behind the headline?
Analysis
- Weiss is driving a structural shift at 60 Minutes, pushing to integrate the news division and reduce editorial silos.
- The Netanyahu interview episode, and the decision to assign it to Major Garrett rather than a 60 Minutes correspondent, is central to tensions between management and veteran reporters.
- The overhaul signals a broader strategy to secure high-profile moments while refreshing the lineup, with potential long-term implications for staff retention and audience trust.
- Expect continued access-driven bookings to collide with newsroom autonomy, potentially accelerating departures or realignment within CBS News.
How we got here
Bari Weiss has taken the helm at CBS News after Paramount Skydance’s acquisition. Since then, she has pursued a more expansive, less siloed approach for 60 Minutes, including bringing in correspondents from CBS News Evening News and planning fresh blood amid contract expirations.
Our analysis
The Independent and NY Post report on Weiss’s push to broaden 60 Minutes and on the Netanyahu interview booking, with quotes and context from insiders and executives at CBS News.
Go deeper
- Is 60 Minutes’ model changing to include more cross-division appearances?
- How will veteran correspondents respond to management-driven bookings?
- What other high-profile interviews are planned under this overhaul?
More on these topics
-
Lesley Stahl - American journalist
Lesley Rene Stahl is an American television journalist. She has spent most of her career with CBS News, where she began as a producer in 1971. Since 1991, she has reported for CBS's 60 Minutes.
-
Benjamin Netanyahu - Prime Minister of Israel
Benjamin Netanyahu is an Israeli politician serving as Prime Minister of Israel since 2009, and previously from 1996 to 1999. Netanyahu is also the Chairman of the Likud – National Liberal Movement.
-
Bari Weiss - American writer
Bari Weiss is an American opinion writer and editor. From 2013 until 2017 she was an op-ed and book review editor at The Wall Street Journal. From 2017 to 2020, Weiss was an op-ed staff editor and writer about culture and politics at The New York Times.
-
Tony Dokoupil - Broadcaster
Tony Dokoupil is an American broadcast journalist, known for his work as a co-anchor of CBS This Morning. He was also a news correspondent for CBS News and MSNBC.