The ghost of “60 Minutes” is about to haunt Bari Weiss

Key Points:

• Despite “60 Minutes” maintaining its status as America’s highest-rated newsmagazine with increased viewership and social media engagement in the 2025-2026 season, CBS executives under new owner David Ellison and editorial head Bari Weiss have radically overhauled the program, removing seasoned investigative reporters in favor of politically motivated hires.
• The overhaul has been criticized for undermining the program’s legacy of rigorous investigative journalism, with allegations of editorial interference aimed at promoting a conservative, anti-woke agenda and censoring critical stories, including a major investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s financial ties.
• Several veteran journalists, including former executive producer Bill Owens and correspondents like Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, have been pushed out or resigned, with some reportedly planning to launch a rival investigative newsmagazine funded by investors seeking to preserve traditional journalistic standards.
• Ellison’s acquisition of CBS and his editorial changes are part of a broader strategy to facilitate a larger $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, despite ongoing antitrust lawsuits and concerns about media consolidation and journalistic independence.
• The purge of experienced journalists has left “60 Minutes” with a depleted team replaced by commentators known for conservative viewpoints, raising fears that CBS has sacrificed journalistic integrity for political appeasement, while inadvertently fostering the emergence of a new competitor in investigative journalism.