Full Breakdown
CBS Hires Conservative Ross Douthat for “60 Minutes”
8/2/2026, 6:31:53 AM
Core Development: New Correspondent and Promotion
CBS announced that Ross Douthat, formerly a columnist for *The New York Times*, will join *60 Minutes* as a correspondent. At the same time, former MSNBC anchor Norah O’Donnell received a promotion to the news magazine, which is slated to begin its 59th season next month.
Background and Recent Turbulence at CBS News
The hires come after Bari Weiss was installed as head of CBS News, a move that has already sparked controversy. Under Weiss, the network edited a pre-election interview with Kamala Harris, settled a $15 million lawsuit with former President Donald Trump over alleged election-interference, and faced criticism for its handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story. Staff turnover has accelerated: Anderson Cooper announced his departure from *60 Minutes* while remaining at CNN, and veteran journalist Scott Pelley was dismissed after accusing executive producer Nick Bilton of “murdering the show” and questioning his qualifications.
Ratings Impact
CBS reports that *60 Minutes* averaged 9.1 million viewers during the 2025-2026 season, representing an increase of roughly 10 % from the previous year. In the key 25-54 advertising demographic, viewership rose about 5 %.
Official Response and Outlook
CBS frames the appointments as a strategy to broaden editorial perspectives and revive ratings. Weiss is described as attempting to steer the division toward the center after facing left-leaning criticism for “thinking outside the box.” With Douthat and O’Donnell on board, the program’s 59th season will launch next month, marking a notable shift in the show’s staffing and, according to the network, its audience performance.
