A reported backstage feud at 60 Minutes highlights Bari Weiss’ booking choices, staff unrest, and contract tensions.
A reported backstage feud is shaking CBS News. with the latest friction centering on Bari Weiss and her handling of high-profile “60 Minutes” bookings.. The CBS News boss’s decisions around interviews and newsroom direction are now drawing fresh scrutiny. including a reported clash with a “60 Minutes” veteran linked to the Netanyahu sit-down.
According to a report stated to be from Status. Lesley Stahl was furious after Weiss allegedly booked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for an interview without her involvement.. The sit-down is described as Netanyahu’s first major U.S.. broadcast interview since the Iran war began, making it one of the most consequential moments in the show’s lineup.
The reported tension deepened when Weiss allegedly assigned Major Garrett—CBS News’ chief Washington correspondent. and not a “60 Minutes” journalist—to conduct the interview.. That choice, sources indicate, fueled the belief that Weiss “effectively went around” Stahl in order to secure the conversation.
Stahl had reportedly spent months trying to land the Netanyahu interview herself. With Garrett ultimately given the assignment despite Stahl’s prior efforts, the episode has reportedly left Stahl reassessing what comes next at the award-winning program.
Adding pressure to the moment, Stahl’s contract is set to expire at the end of the current season, and the report suggests she is weighing her future amid the fallout from the Netanyahu booking dispute.
CBS pushed back on the report. In a statement, a spokesperson said it is the editor-in-chief’s job to make decisions about bookings and interviews. The spokesperson also said Garrett is a “world-class journalist” and described his Netanyahu interview as “tough, fair and newsmaking.”
The Netanyahu controversy is only one part of a broader picture of how Weiss’ leadership has been landing inside the “60 Minutes” newsroom. The report states that her management style has rattled staffers, with some insiders fearing additional shake-ups—including possible departures.
Weiss has also faced accusations that her editorial decisions have favored President Donald Trump since she joined CBS News as editor-in-chief in the fall of 2025.. Last year. sources say a “60 Minutes” story critical of the president and his administration was kept off the air. with Weiss arguing at the time that it did not “advance the ball.”
In that account, the story was pulled shortly before it was scheduled to run. It was set to focus on deportees sent to El Salvador’s CECOT prison, and it was removed from the schedule just two hours before broadcast, according to the report.
The decision drew criticism from correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi. who reportedly objected to the timing and described the pullback after “every rigorous internal check” as a political move rather than an editorial one.. Weiss. in turn. pushed back with a statement defending newsroom debate and saying she wanted a newsroom capable of contentious disagreements over difficult editorial matters.
Meanwhile, a previous report cited in the current coverage suggested Weiss had been talked out of making major changes to “60 Minutes” midseason. Even so, tensions have continued to simmer, and sources indicate Weiss may be preparing larger moves once the season ends.
The broader unrest is also reportedly tied to staffing uncertainty at CBS. One of the network’s best-known stars, Anderson Cooper, turned down a new contract with “60 Minutes” after nearly 20 years with the newsmagazine, with insiders previously describing additional changes as possible.
Those same insiders reportedly suggested Cooper is “just the tip of the iceberg. ” claiming disillusionment and unrest are widespread inside CBS and that more star journalists could follow if the atmosphere does not improve.. The comments also characterize the mood as high-stakes and filled with fear. framing CBS News as a shadow of what it used to be.
For many viewers. all of this could translate into noticeable shifts in how “60 Minutes” chooses stories. selects interviewers. and manages internal expectations.. Whether the reported feud remains confined to behind-the-scenes booking decisions—or expands into a larger wave of staff changes—what’s clear is that Weiss’ control over editorial direction is now being closely watched across the newsroom.
Bari Weiss 60 Minutes Lesley Stahl Major Garrett Benjamin Netanyahu interview CBS News Anderson Cooper contract