Bari Weiss's 60 Minutes Revamp Faces Ultimate Test
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The Bari Weiss Experiment: Can 60 Minutes Revive Under New Leadership?
The recent overhaul of 60 Minutes has sent shockwaves through the industry, with CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss at the helm. Weiss’s efforts to revamp the show’s correspondent corps and production staff have been met with skepticism, given the ratings woes of other CBS programs under her tenure.
Weiss’s appointment as editor-in-chief in October 2025 marked a turning point for CBS News. The network had struggled to compete with ABC and NBC, trailing behind its competitors in both morning and evening newscasts. While some saw Weiss’s arrival as an opportunity to shake things up, it was always a long shot that she could single-handedly turn the ship around.
Weiss’s track record at the network has been marked by modest results. The relaunch of CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil failed to generate significant buzz or ratings gains, losing 7% more viewers compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, CBS Mornings has declined in viewership under Weiss’s watch, averaging 1.62 million total viewers last month – a far cry from its heyday when Stephen Colbert anchored the evening news.
The real test for Weiss will come with the new season of 60 Minutes. The show’s strong ratings have been a stalwart presence on CBS for decades, and any drop in viewership would be catastrophic for both the network and Weiss herself. Given her history, it’s no wonder that Sir Trevor Phillips, one of her new hires to the 60 Minutes lineup, has called the situation “a huge tanker of a network news organization” with a “little team on the bridge.”
The changes to 60 Minutes have been nothing short of dramatic. Star correspondents Scott Pelley, Sharyn Alfonsi, and Cecilia Vega were ousted in favor of new faces. While Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim agreed to stay, the question remains: can this new lineup generate the same level of success as their predecessors? The hiring of Ross Douthat, a New York Times opinion columnist with no television experience, has raised eyebrows among media observers. His partisan leanings have led some to wonder if Weiss is steering 60 Minutes further in a conservative direction.
One thing is certain: this is a crucial moment for CBS News. As the new season premieres next month, the network’s future hangs in the balance. Will Weiss’s experiment pay off, or will it end in disaster? The outcome remains uncertain until the premiere of 60 Minutes’ new season.
Reader Views
- EKEditor K. Wells · editor
It's time to separate hype from reality when it comes to Bari Weiss's 60 Minutes overhaul. While Weiss's vision for a revamped show is undeniably bold, her track record at CBS News has been decidedly mixed. The real test won't be in the ratings numbers, but in whether she can adapt her high-profile shake-ups to actual reporting and storytelling. Can Weiss marry ambition with journalistic integrity, or will 60 Minutes become just another casualty of her reform efforts?
- CMColumnist M. Reid · opinion columnist
Bari Weiss's 60 Minutes overhaul is being met with skepticism, but perhaps that's because her track record is thin on actual results. The real test will be whether she can sustain a ratings boost or if this is just another flash in the pan. One thing missing from the conversation is what exactly these new hires - touted as the future of journalism - bring to the table. Can they deliver hard-hitting stories that resonate with audiences, or are we simply witnessing a rebooted brand?
- CSCorrespondent S. Tan · field correspondent
The Bari Weiss experiment is a high-stakes gamble for CBS News, but one critical factor is often overlooked: the network's struggles to adapt to changing viewer habits are just as much a result of its own inflexibility as Weiss's leadership. While 60 Minutes' revamped lineup and format may generate buzz, it's unclear whether they'll translate to sustained viewership in a crowded media landscape where streaming services are increasingly siphoning off eyeballs. Will CBS News finally learn to adapt to the digital age, or will it become the latest relic of a bygone era?