Bari Weiss taps new 60 Minutes executive producer and fires two top reporters

New York, New York – Bari Weiss, the newly appointed Editor-in-Chief at CBS News, recently ordered some drastic changes to the iconic news show 60 Minutes, including tapping a new executive producer.

According to The New York Times, Weiss on Thursday tapped Nick Bilton – a filmmaker and former technology columnist for NYT – to replace Tanya Simon, who held the role for more than three decades.

Weiss also oversaw the firing of Cecilia Vega, the program’s first Latina correspondent, and Sharyn Alfonsi, the journalist whose segment about a notorious prison camp in El Salvador was pulled from the show back in December.

Bilton on Thursday shared a lengthy note he sent to CBS staff in an X post, in which he introduced himself to those unfamiliar with him and emphasized the need to focus on “a commitment to fairness – in story selection, in the edit room, and in the broadcast.”

In a post of her own, Weiss described Bilton as “one of the most entrepreneurial and ambitious journalists working today” and said she is “thrilled” to have him on bored.

Weiss landed her role after Paramount bought out CBS and The Free Press – an outlet she founded in 2021 – last October.

While it’s difficult to define Weiss’ political alignment, she – like Bilton – used to write for NYT, but left the outlet over claims that she was scrutinized for her more conservative views.

Prior to the deal, Paramount settled a lawsuit with President Donald Trump over claims that CBS maliciously edited a 60 Minutes segment during the 2024 presidential elections.

Notably, CBS also canceled comedian Stephen Colbert’s late-night show, where he had regularly mocked the president.

Critics have argued that the settlement was used to appease Trump and his administration, and the appointment of Weiss indicates that Paramount leadership plans to take its media in a more conservative direction.