In a move that has stunned media observers, CBS News has hired New York Times conservative columnist Ross Douthat as a correspondent for its flagship program, 60 Minutes. The announcement, made this week, was met with widespread disbelief given Douthat's lack of broadcast television experience and his background as an opinion journalist rather than a news reporter.
Disbelief in Media Circles
The collective response among media professionals was one of shock. Douthat would not have been high on anyone's list to replace experienced reporters like Scott Pelley, Cecilia Vega, and Sharyn Alfonsi, who were recently let go from the show, or Anderson Cooper, who left amid internal turmoil over allegations of political bias being injected into 60 Minutes reports.
Douthat is known for his lofty takes on national politics and religion, not for the investigative reporting that has been the hallmark of 60 Minutes since its inception. His skill set is more aligned with opinion writing, characterized by what his editor Katie Kingsbury described as 'a religiously serious, intellectually restless conservatism.' Kingsbury noted in a staff memo that Douthat 'was right about things early, wrong about things honestly and never, not once, boring.'
Alignment with New Leadership
Despite the apparent mismatch, the hire aligns with the vision of CBS News's new ownership, led by billionaire scion David Ellison, who appointed Bari Weiss as editor in chief last October. Weiss, like Douthat, had no television experience and made her name on the opinion side of journalism with a conservative bent. She founded the Free Press, a digital media company focusing on opinion journalism with an 'anti-woke' flavor, after leaving the New York Times over complaints about its internal culture.
Weiss's conservative profile and her disagreements with legacy media were precisely what Ellison wanted as he sought to cozy up to the Trump administration for approval of corporate mergers. Weiss then appointed Nick Bilton as executive producer of 60 Minutes, another hire with no TV news experience but shared roots at the New York Times.
Ratings and Rebuilding
Since the new leadership took over, ratings at CBS News have plummeted, including at its evening news show, where Weiss installed Tony Dokoupil as anchor with great fanfare. With big-name talent departing and longtime viewers feeling angry and betrayed, Weiss and her team are in serious rebuilding mode. 60 Minutes is a priority due to the negative publicity from controversies. Pelley accused Weiss of 'murdering' the program, saying in a staff meeting, 'She was brought in to kill it and she's been doing exactly that.' His comments went viral, and he was quickly shown the door despite his decades at CBS.
New Contributors Announced
In addition to Douthat, CBS star Norah O'Donnell will join 60 Minutes as a correspondent. Other new contributors include Sebastian Junger, the prominent author and former ABC News correspondent; Gianna Toboni, formerly of Vice; and CBS's Trevor Phillips. Bilton praised Douthat as 'a thinker of uncommon rigor and a journalist of deep empathy.'
Message Behind the Hire
Ultimately, Douthat's hire sends a clear message: at the CBS News of Bari Weiss and David Ellison, being a well-known conservative opinion journalist trumps traditional credentials like TV experience or investigative skills. Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics, and culture.
