Bari Weiss took over the CBS News department in October 2025. The entire news division faced staffing layoffs due to cutting costs following Paramount’s merger with Skydance Media. But no one expected that the shift in leadership would lead to the firing and departure of several high-profile journalists. Now, the show is reportedly struggling ahead of a new season. Keep reading for all the details.
Mass Firings Hurt CBS News’ Credibility
CBS Evening News anchor John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois announced in October 2025 that they were resigning from their positions. Tony Dokoupil replaced them, leaving an empty chair on CBS Mornings. However, the nightly news program has been plagued with poor ratings.
Before taking over the anchor desk, Tony Dokoupil vowed to restore the public’s trust in the media. However, the nightly news program has been plagued by poor ratings. Former CBS News employees claimed that they were silenced or censored from reporting things that made the Trump administration look bad.
A source close to the network admitted to Variety that CBS News has an uphill battle in regaining the public’s trust and viewership. “The producers need to find a way to reach younger viewers where and when they consume news and information, but at the same time not turn away older viewers who still make up most of the show’s audience,” the insider said.
60 Minutes was one of the most trusted news programs since it began in 1968. According to insiders, the news magazine is struggling after mass firings and unexpected departures.
60 Minutes Reportedly Struggling Ahead Of New Season
May 2026 was a bloodbath for 60 Minutes. Correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega were fired from their positions. The purge continued backstage with the firing of executive producer Tanya Simmons and executive editor Draggan Mihailovich.
Things got worse for the network when popular CNN host Anderson Cooper quit his corresponding gig with 60 Minutes after nearly 20 years. His future with CNN is in doubt amid Paramount potentially taking over Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company.
Longtime correspondent Scott Pelley was fired in June 2026. Nick Bilton took over as the show’s executive producer and faces a lot of challenges ahead of the new season. Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim kept their correspondent positions. Norah O’Donnell was promoted to full-time. But 60 Minutes is reportedly struggling for content for Season 59.
“With thin experience at the top and no real bank of stories to fall back on, the staff is going to have to work like hell just to get the show on the air every week. And they’ll be doing it in an atmosphere where a lot of people still feel underappreciated and still haven’t gotten over how badly Tanya and Draggan were treated,” a source told Variety.
However, another source said the show has several stories in the works for the September 13 premiere. Share your thoughts on the changes to 60 Minutes in the comments.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger