Ross Douthat Joins 60 Minutes as Correspondent Following Major CBS News Shake-up
CBS News has announced a new lineup of correspondents and contributors for the 59th season of "60 Minutes," headlined by the addition of New York Times opinion columnist Ross Douthat. The administration announced that Douthat will join the program as a correspondent, described by executive producer Nick Bilton as a thinker of uncommon rigor and a journalist of deep empathy. Joining Douthat are contributors Sebastian Junger, Gianna Toboni, and Trevor Phillips. Additionally, Norah O’Donnell has been promoted to full-time correspondent. These new hires follow a period of internal turmoil and a major shake-up led by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, which saw the departure of longtime correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega, and Scott Pelley. The new team will work alongside veteran correspondents Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim. The new season begins on September 13, the show's leadership successfully retaining the services of the veteran staff to maintain its tradition of independent reporting.