CBS News head Bari Weiss suffered an embarrassing public blow on Sunday when Anderson Cooper, one of the most recognized news anchors in the world, was allowed to deliver thinly veiled criticism of her leadership — catching her completely off guard.
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According to media watchdog Status, the already embattled Weiss was not given advance notice of Cooper’s remarks and was effectively “blindsided” by the criticism. The exit interview, published as part of “60 Minutes” “Overtime” series, saw Cooper reflect on his nearly two decades as a correspondent while taking subtle but pointed shots at the CBS News boss.
In the interview, Cooper stressed that “independence” is “crucial” to the show and that trust with viewers is “critical.” Most pointedly, he emphasized that overseeing the program “requires an appreciation of the history and the sacrifices and the hard work of the people here.”
“I hope ’60 Minutes’ remains ’60 Minutes,'” Cooper said, clearly aware that Weiss plans to overhaul the program now that the current season has ended. “There’s very few things that have been around for as long as ’60 Minutes’ has and maintained the quality that it has.”
The remarks were particularly striking because they were delivered by Cooper — arguably one of the most respected voices in broadcast journalism — and published directly on the CBS News platform that Weiss oversees.
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According to Oliver Darcy of Status, behind the scenes, Weiss was reportedly “furious” over the public airing of Cooper’s criticism which created headlines, according to people familiar with the matter. Her anger was compounded by the fact that Cooper used the CBS News platform itself to deliver the rebuke.
Darcy pointed out it must have felt particularly humiliating to Weiss, who had personally made overtures to Cooper with the aim of expanding his presence at the network — only to have Cooper decline and then use that same platform to criticize her leadership.
Executive producer Tanya Simon, who oversees “60 Minutes,” has attempted to balance placating Weiss while maintaining the integrity of the newsmagazine. However, Weiss’s displeasure over Cooper’s remarks ultimately reached Simon, according to sources.
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A CBS News spokesperson declined to comment to Status on the matter.
