CBS News Ousts 6 Senior 60 Minutes Staff as Bari Weiss Faces Scrutiny

3 articles · Updated · Variety · Jun 9

Six senior "60 Minutes" figures were pushed out in roughly two weeks, including executive producer Tanya Simon, executive editor Draggan Mihailovich, correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, senior producers Guy Campanile and Matthew Polevoy; Scott Pelley soon followed.
Pelley told The New York Times that Bari Weiss's lack of television experience and a new political bias had left CBS News "on fire," while staff described the flagship program as "unmoored" with only three correspondents left heading toward the fall season.
Five people familiar with CBS News operations said Weiss's remote, "royal" management style has eroded support for her broader push into digital and social media, even as Paramount looks for a business executive to help her navigate TV-news processes.
The turmoil threatens a division that generated $362 million in 2025 advertising and has held a 22% share of broadcast-news ad dollars for five years, but media buyers warned perceived partisanship could make CBS News a less safe venue for brands.
Paramount CEO David Ellison's bet that the Free Press founder could modernize CBS News has produced attention-grabbing interviews and some strong reporting, yet rivals say "60 Minutes" is now driving headlines more for internal drama than journalism.