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

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I’ve been a longtime fan of “60 Minutes,” so I was surprised to hear about the big changes happening over there. Apparently, Bari Weiss, the new editor in chief at CBS News, has brought in a new executive producer and decided to let go of two of the show’s correspondents. It feels like a real shift for such an established program, and I’m curious to see what direction they’ll take now.

Weiss revealed on Thursday that Nick Bilton will be the new executive producer. He’s taking over from Tanya Simon, who has worked with the program for 26 years and had been leading it since July. Bilton previously worked as a technology columnist for The New York Times and is also a documentary filmmaker.

Weiss also dismissed Sharyn Alfonsi, a “60 Minutes” correspondent who disagreed with him about a report on President Trump’s immigration policies, and Cecilia Vega, who had recently joined the program in 2023.

Okay, so this is pretty big news for “60 Minutes.” Apparently, the new executive producer, Bilton, is the first one ever in the show’s 58-year run to not have started at CBS News. Seriously, it’s always been an internal promotion – Don Hewitt, Jeff Fager, Bill Owens, and the most recent guy, Simon, all worked their way up through the CBS system. It’s a real shake-up to have someone coming in from the outside, as a total movie buff, I find this quite intriguing!

Weiss reportedly had a good relationship with Simon, whose father, the late Bob Simon, was a well-known correspondent for the show. However, their connection seems to have strained when Weiss wasn’t informed ahead of time about Anderson Cooper’s final broadcast, which marked the end of Weiss’s almost 20 years with the program.

World & Nation

News cameras immediately arrived at the Washington Hilton after gunshots were reported, turning what should have been a celebratory event into a breaking news story for reporters.

Anderson Cooper, a CNN anchor, declined a new contract with “60 Minutes” after voicing concerns about the show’s ability to maintain its journalistic independence. He shared these concerns during his last episode.

Anderson explained to viewers that he embraces change and evolution, but hopes the fundamental qualities of ’60 Minutes’ – especially its independence – will always be preserved.

For months, there’s been talk about possible changes at “60 Minutes,” the top-rated news program on TV for the past 52 years. This started when David Ellison, head of Paramount, appointed Weiss to manage the news content at CBS News.

Since October 2024, things have been chaotic for the company. It started when former President Trump sued CBS for $20 billion over an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. The lawsuit was eventually resolved to allow Skydance Media to buy Paramount.

From a business perspective, it’s unusual to consider changing “60 Minutes.” The show is consistently one of CBS’s most profitable prime-time programs and still highly respected for its journalism. Even though it benefits from airing after popular NFL games, “60 Minutes” remains one of the few shows people still plan their evenings around to watch.

As a huge fan of investigative journalism, I was really shocked to learn about what happened with the ‘Inside CECOT’ piece. It was a deep dive into how the Trump administration handled hundreds of Venezuelan migrants, ultimately sending them to a notoriously brutal prison in El Salvador. Apparently, it was supposed to air on December 21st, but the network pulled it at the last minute. The editor felt it needed more work – specifically, a response from the administration, who refused to cooperate – before it could be broadcast. It’s frustrating when important stories get delayed like that, but I guess thorough reporting is key.

Correspondent Lesley Stahl, who spent months reporting the story for “60 Minutes,” objected to the decision by the Trump administration, telling colleagues in an email that she believed it was driven by political reasons.

The story was published on January 18th with no major alterations to its content or how it was presented. Weiss admitted to colleagues that releasing the segment and then withdrawing it was an error in judgment.

Honestly, I wasn’t surprised to hear that Alfonsi was leaving the show. She’d actually said herself she figured it was coming! Her deal was up at the end of the last season, so it felt pretty inevitable.

Sharyn Alfonsi began her career with CBS News in 2002. After working at ABC News from 2008 to 2013, she returned to CBS and became a correspondent for “60 Minutes” in 2015.

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2026-05-28 20:01