Right-wing voice Ross Douthat joins ‘60 Minutes’ as correspondent

By the Editorial Team · Friday, July 31, 2026

Ross Douthat, a conservative New York Times columnist, has joined CBS News as a full-time correspondent for “60 Minutes,” marking the first new full-time addition since a major staff reorganization last spring. His hiring reflects CBS News’ push to diversify the program’s political perspective amid ongoing internal conflicts and departures of key veteran correspondents.

Ross Douthat, a conservative columnist known for his work on the New York Times opinion page, has joined CBS News as a full-time correspondent for the news magazine “60 Minutes.” His hiring, announced Tuesday, marks the first appointment of a full-time correspondent to the program since a major reorganization last spring.

CBS News has been rebuilding the “60 Minutes” team following the departure of veteran correspondents Scott Pelley, Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega, and executive producer Tanya Simon. The firings came amid internal conflict over the editorial direction of the program under CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss. Anderson Cooper, another prominent contributor, declined a renewed contract to continue his role on the show.

Douthat, 46, who replaced Bill Kristol on the Times’s opinion page in 2009, is relatively new to television but has hosted the video podcast “Interesting Times,” which delved into religion and politics. His arrival at “60 Minutes” introduces a conservative perspective that is rare for broadcast news, aligning with efforts by CBS News leadership to diversify the program’s political outlook. Weiss, brought in as editor in chief in October with a mandate from Paramount CEO David Ellison to steer CBS News toward a more centrist approach, reportedly sees Douthat’s addition as consistent with that goal.

In addition to Douthat, “60 Minutes” executive producer Nick Bilton named three contributors: Sebastian Junger, an author and filmmaker known for “The Perfect Storm” and award-winning Afghanistan war coverage for ABC News; Gianna Toboni, a former Vice News correspondent and recent CNN reporter; and Trevor Phillips, a British journalist and former political figure who joined CBS News earlier this year. The program continues to consider other internal candidates, including “CBS Sunday Morning” veteran Seth Doane, national correspondent Matt Gutman, foreign correspondent Holly Williams, and “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Doukopil. CBS News has also held discussions with documentary filmmaker Mariana van Zeller.

Veteran correspondents Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, Norah O’Donnell, and Jon Wertheim will return for the program’s 59th season, set to premiere September 13. O’Donnell has been promoted to full-time correspondent.

The shakeup followed a season when “60 Minutes” achieved a 9% ratings increase. However, the period was marked by significant controversy. Alfonsi and Vega alleged that Weiss pressured them to incorporate right-wing viewpoints into their reporting. Pelley publicly criticized Weiss for what he described as editorial interference favoring former President Donald Trump’s administration and accused her of undermining the show’s independence. Pelley left the program after a June 1 meeting in which he confronted management over the firings.

CBS News continues efforts to stabilize its flagship news magazine amid these changes, with a mix of seasoned journalists and new voices expected to shape the program moving forward.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.