CBS ’60 Minutes’ Announces New Correspondents Ahead of 59th Season

CBS’s ’60 Minutes’ has welcomed new correspondents and contributors for its 59th season. Ross Douthat from The New York Times and Norah O’Donnell, previously with ‘CBS Evening News,’ join the team. Executive producer Nick Bilton shared this announcement in a staff memo, coinciding with major recent changes at the program.

Other new contributors include author Sebastian Junger, Trevor Phillips, and Gianna Toboni. Current correspondents Lesley Stahl, Jon Wertheim, and Bill Whitaker remain part of the lineup. These developments follow significant changes led by CBS’s editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss.

Weiss appointed Bilton as executive producer, replacing Tanya Simon, a long-standing figure at ’60 Minutes.’ Other departures include correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega, and Scott Pelley after contentious exchanges regarding the adjustments. Anderson Cooper also exited, stating his decision was voluntary after two decades.

Weiss and CBS News president Tom Cibrowski expressed enthusiasm for the new additions in an internal memo. Bilton praised Douthat as a leading public intellectual and described O’Donnell as a dynamic presence. Junger received recognition for his nonfiction book ‘The Perfect Storm,’ while Toboni was noted for her versatile journalism experience.

Toboni joins as both a contributor and national correspondent, having previously worked with VICE News and CNN. Her work includes interviews with ISIS members and investigations into cartel violence. Phillips, based in London, serves as senior global affairs correspondent and is recognized for his incisive questioning and accountability of powerful figures.

’60 Minutes’ has experienced ongoing upheaval, notably following a lawsuit from former President Trump regarding an interview edit. Weiss’s appointment as editor-in-chief by Paramount initiated broader CBS News changes.

Jocelyn Noveck from the Associated Press reports on media and entertainment intersections.