Bari Weiss, the editor-in-chief at CBS News, reportedly felt blindsided and furious after Anderson Cooper's emotional farewell from '60 Minutes' last week. The correspondent signed off for the last time after 20 years, nearly crying as he said 'I'm Anderson Cooper' for a final time.
Cooper's Parting Words Spark Controversy
In an 'Overtime' online segment, Cooper expressed hope that the venerable news show would uphold its 'independence' — a quality that has been seriously disputed as CBS News leans right under Weiss's leadership. According to people familiar with the matter, this is what got the new boss 'furious' and feeling 'blindsided' after she wasn't given a heads-up on his remarks.
'I hope '60 Minutes' remains '60 Minutes,'' Cooper said. 'There's very few things that have been around for as long as '60 Minutes' has, and maintain the quality that it has. ... I think the independence of '60 Minutes' has been critical. The trust it has with viewers is critical to the success of '60 Minutes.''
Internal Turmoil at CBS News
The incident adds to growing tensions at CBS News. Top producer Bill Owens reportedly departed due to interference, and correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi vented after Weiss pulled a segment on a notorious prison where migrants were sent by the Trump administration. (It later aired.) 'In my view, it was the result of a more aggressive contagion: the spread of corporate meddling and editorial fear. It's hard to watch,' Alfonsi said.
HuffPost reached out to Weiss and CBS News for comment. Bari Weiss was angry that she didn't get any warning on what some observers saw as veiled criticism from Anderson Cooper, according to Status.
