One of the most storied news franchises in history has a fresh leader, as CBS News names journalist Nick Bilton the executive producer of “60 Minutes.” Bilton’s significant experience as a reporter likely made him an appealing choice for CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss. But others at the program are questioning how Bilton, who has never worked in television news, will run the iconic show.
‘Some of that kind of gonzo journalism’
Bilton wants to ensure that “‘holding people to account’ and ‘investigative journalism’ remain core principles” of “60 Minutes” under his watch, he told The Hollywood Reporter. But there may also be opportunities for “some of that kind of gonzo journalism stuff” that Bilton has personally become known for. Examples include “Fake Famous,” his 2021 documentary film about social media influencers, and “American Kingpin,” his 2017 book about the online black market Silk Road.
There are a “lot of parts of ‘60’ that are fantastic and work really well, and I think there are other parts of it that can be brought into the modern era,” Bilton said to The Hollywood Reporter. The core premise of the changes “appears built around extending ‘60 Minutes’ to the places where consumers primarily get their news,” potentially moving away from traditional television. The primary goal, which “has been the focus of the show since its inception, is the story,” Bilton told Axios.
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There will now be an “emphasis on telling stories beyond the weekly show and experimenting with new voices from outside traditional broadcast news,” said The New York Times. These changes come amid a larger shift at CBS News itself. In addition to hiring Bilton, Weiss “also fired Cecilia Vega, the program’s first Latina correspondent, and Sharyn Alfonsi, whose segment on torture in Salvadoran prisons was pulled off the air abruptly last year.”
‘Fear what comes next’
Many are wary of what these changes mean for “60 Minutes” and its longstanding legacy of groundbreaking journalism. Particular criticism was levied at Bilton himself, a “credulous dope” who represents a “specific type of dolt from a bygone era,” said Defector. Some cited his 2015 article for The New York Times, which was “so factually f--ked, it now contains a 203-word editor’s note and a 98-word correction.”
Weiss is standing behind her decisions. Bilton is “one of the most entrepreneurial and ambitious journalists working today. I am thrilled that he is the next executive producer of 60 Minutes,” she said on X. But Weiss’ changes will “probably generate heat from the staff of ‘60 Minutes,’” who were fiercely loyal to prior executive producer Tanya Simon, said The Guardian. Many “viewed her promotion to executive producer last year as an indication that the new leadership of CBS News parent company Paramount wanted to preserve the show’s winning formula.”
Now some are cautious of the direction “60 Minutes” could be headed. “I very much fear what comes next,” Vega said in a statement after her ousting. Others have been even more blunt, including longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley. “‘She’s murdering ‘60 Minutes,’” Pelley said of Weiss in a heated meeting with Bilton, according to numerous sources. “She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it and is doing exactly that.”
