CBS News Names New 60 Minutes Leader, And It’s Grim

CBS News is shaking up 60 Minutes and the results are dire for anyone that actually cares about the news on TV being accurate.

The Washington Post and New York Times reported that Sharyn Alfonsi was leaving her post as the leader of 60 Minutes. CBS News Editor in Chief Bari Weiss made the call. A lot of the Post’s report details a rift between the EiC and Alfonsi.

But, this was reportedly not a mere performance-related move. Much like their jettisoning of Stephen Colbert, the choice to fire the 60 Minutes helmer was seemingly because of ideological differences according to Alfonsi. Namely, the program’s coverage of the Trump Administration’s actions around deportations.

“This was not a routine corporate transition; it was a deliberate choice to penalize a journalist for refusing to sanitize factually accurate reporting,” the reporter explained in a statement. “It sends a chilling message to the entire newsroom.” 

Alfonsi continued, “In the coming days, network leadership may attempt to hide behind corporate euphemisms like ‘modernization’ and ‘restructuring’ to explain away my departure. Don’t be misled,” she added. 

Anyone paying attention to what’s been going on at CBS news for the last year and change, Alfonsi’s theory should come as no surprise. It was seemingly a matter of when not if more changes would come to the broadcast titan. 

However, what is the most galling at the time of riding is CBS’s choice to replace Alfonsi at the head of 60 Minutes.

Who will lead 60 Minutes now?

Nick Bilton, a tech journalist who formerly worked with Weiss at a previous stop, is the new executive producer for CBS. He has never worked in television news before. But expect him to largely toe the company line. He says that the new era of 60 Minutes will prove doubters wrong though.

“I will prove it with the work,” Bilton told CNBC. “I’m dedicated to holding people in power to account.” Sure, Bilton. We’ve followed the last two years of corporate America. We know better than to blindly trust that.

“[CBS’s 60 Minutes is] still the No. 1 news broadcast in America. But history tells you disruption doesn’t happen immediately when new technology comes along — it’s usually a few years later,” Bilton said. 

“We’re on the precipice of this happening to broadcast TV. What was the best year of sales for Nokia? It was 2008, one year after the iPhone came out,” he noted. “Blogs came out in 1997-98. The New York Times had its best year of sales in 1999.” 

If that made you wanna dissociate, you’re not alone. I want you to know that. But, the seeming hollowing out of a storied broadcast tradition didn’t just start. This is just the latest chapter of a longer story.

Media giants continue to flounder

 So, here we are. Just a couple of days after the departure of Stephen Colbert due to what many think is partisan bellyaching (labeled as a financial decision), another part of CBS’s long history is changed forever. And, they’re pointing to the cost as a sign that they’re not taking on water. (It’s a different story over on the evening news…)

To argue with the former 60 Minutes bosses assessment of the workplace as it stands now. A lot of these institutions are being hollowed out for the copper inside the walls, and people aren’t realizing it until it’s too late.

“Journalists willing to challenge authority are being pushed aside in favor of those who will not,” Alfonsi argued. “If this continues, the result will be a broadcast that looks like 60 Minutes but lacks the courage and character to produce journalism that matters.” 

(featured image: CBS)

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