Couric says she was pushed out of 60 Minutes

Katie Couric says changes under “60 Minutes” executive producer Jeff Fager left her feeling sidelined—starting with stories assigned to male reporters and continuing through moments she describes as reassigned without consultation. The comments arrive as CBS N

Katie Couric didn’t sound surprised when she described how “60 Minutes” handled some of her biggest pitches—she sounded angry.

During an episode of “Call Her Daddy. ” released June 24. the 69-year-old journalist. who founded Katie Couric Media. said she was brought in only to be overruled behind the scenes. She recalled being assigned “the really tough situations” as a correspondent for “60 Minutes” for more than two decades. while telling host Alex Cooper that Jeff Fager “just didn’t like me.”.

Couric said Fager “wasn’t really consulted about bringing me over,” and she speculated she was “muddying the waters” by “seeing somebody from a different network.” She also described a pattern she said she faced while working on stories: having her stories assigned to male reporters.

Her comments landed as CBS News leadership at “60 Minutes” has been in flux. CBS News chief Bari Weiss now oversees a new direction for the legendary newsmagazine, after significant staff upheavals that have included the departure of longtime talent and producers.

Couric pitched Gaga profile, then says it was pulled

One episode Couric returned to was her work on a profile of an up-and-coming Lady Gaga. During her time contributing to “60 Minutes. ” which coincided with her anchoring duties as “CBS Evening News” from 2006 to 2011. Couric pitched a story about the pop star. She predicted Gaga would become “the next Madonna.”.

Couric said Fager initially passed on the idea, then a year later expressed interest in spotlighting the singer. She said her new angle—focused on Gaga’s Catholic school education—was accepted.

But when Couric went to the studio, she says she learned she wouldn’t be doing the feature.

“They had a whiteboard at CBS, and they had the name of the correspondent and the story next to it. And I see: Lady Gaga, Anderson Cooper,” Couric said.

Cooper’s interview with then 25-year-old Gaga aired in February 2011.

“It made me crazy,” Couric confessed. “But that happened again with Hillary Clinton.”

Couric says Clinton interview reassigned as State Department got mixed messages

Couric said a proposed “Hillary Clinton” segment also ended up in someone else’s hands—this time with the State Department, she said, confused about who was supposed to lead. She described being asked to sit down with Fager’s plan, only to learn that direction had shifted.

Couric recalled that she had been told she would be assigned the Clinton interview, but that the rollout didn’t match what she said she’d been promised.

“Suddenly, my producer’s saying, ‘The State Department called. They’re very confused because Scott Pelley and his team were calling about Hillary,’” Couric said.

She said she then confronted Fager.

“So I go to Jeff Fager and I say, ‘I thought you wanted me to do Hillary. You told me explicitly that you wanted to assign that story to me.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, we decided to change things up.’”

“It made me insane,” Couric said.

She also criticized what she called the absence of direct communication.

“She had a decency to call me and say, ‘Guess what? We decided to reassign the story, and this is why.’” she added.

Couric used stronger language for her reaction to the experience, saying, “Talk about getting gaslit.”

Pelley’s Clinton segment aired in May 2010.

A representative for Fager could not be reached at the time of publication.

Fager’s CBS record includes firings and allegations

Fager executive-produced “60 Minutes” from 2004 until 2018. That tenure overlapped with his role as chairman of CBS News, which started in 2011. In 2018. he was fired for a threatening message he sent to a CBS reporter who covered internal misconduct allegations—described at the time as a harsh demand “for fairness.”.

The dismissal came while Fager was also facing accusations of inappropriate behavior and covering up others’ sexual misconduct. He denied the claims.

Couric’s comments also referenced other sexism allegations connected to “60 Minutes.” Before Couric, fellow correspondent Meredith Vieira alleged she experienced sexism while employed by CBS.

As leadership shifts, Pelley and other staff are out

This year’s turmoil at “60 Minutes” has included multiple departures. As of this year, neither Scott Pelley nor Anderson Cooper is reporting for “60 Minutes.”

Pelley became embroiled in an upheaval after he was fired on June 2 for criticizing CBS News leadership. He was axed following a heated staff meeting. where he accused CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss of “murdering” the news institution and rebuked newly minted executive producer Nick Bilton for his “slender” TV news qualifications.

The reshuffle has extended beyond Pelley. Other “60 Minutes” staffers have also been let go, including executive editor Draggan Mihailovich and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega.

In May, Cooper signed off on the news program for the final time after two decades on the show, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.

MISRYOUM USA24 Katie Couric 60 Minutes CBS News Jeff Fager Scott Pelley Bari Weiss Anderson Cooper Lady Gaga interview Hillary Clinton interview Nick Bilton Meredith Vieira CBS News layoffs media industry