CBS appoints new correspondents for 60 Minutes ahead of season launch
CBS's flagship news program added several journalists, including Ross Douthat and Norah O'Donnell, as it prepares for its 59th season following a recent leadership overhaul.
CBS News announced that its long-running program "60 Minutes" will feature a slate of new correspondents and contributors for its 59th season. The additions include New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, former "CBS Evening News" anchor Norah O'Donnell, author Sebastian Junger, journalist Trevor Phillips and former VICE and CNN reporter Gianna Toboni. They will join existing correspondents Lesley Stahl, Jon Wertheim and Bill Whitaker.
The hires were disclosed in a staff memo posted on X by the show's new executive producer, Nick Bilton, who was appointed after a broader restructuring led by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. Bilton replaced longtime producer Tanya Simon, and the reshuffle also saw the departures of correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega and former anchor Scott Pelley.
Weiss and CBS News president Tom Cibrowski expressed enthusiasm for the new lineup in an internal communication, stating, "We couldn’t be more excited about this news. Onward!"
Bilbin described Douthat as a leading public intellectual and praised O'Donnell as a "powerhouse" who will appear frequently on the program. He highlighted Junger's nonfiction work, noted Toboni's experience covering topics such as ISIS and Mexican cartel violence, and called Phillips a respected global-affairs journalist.
The staffing changes come after a period of turmoil at the program, which included a lawsuit from President Donald Trump over an edited interview with then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris and a series of leadership adjustments at CBS News following the appointment of Weiss as editor-in-chief.