Anderson Cooper to leave 60 Minutes amid turmoil at CBS News
Anderson Cooper confirmed on Monday evening (ET) that he will not renew his role with the long-running newsmagazine after nearly two decades. The announcement cites family considerations, but comes amid a broader personnel shake-up and questions about editorial independence following changes in network leadership.
Cooper cites family, but tensions linger
In brief remarks, Cooper framed the decision as a desire to be more present for his young children. "Being a correspondent at the newsmagazine has been one of the great honors of my career, " he said, noting that balancing those responsibilities with his other on-air work has become increasingly difficult. He added that he wants to "spend as much time with [his kids] as possible, while they still want to spend time with me. "
Beyond the personal explanation, multiple people inside the industry say the timing of the exit is intertwined with recent managerial moves at the network. The organization's new editor-in-chief, installed after a change in ownership, has overseen newsroom shifts that have prompted internal debate about editorial autonomy and long-standing editorial practices.
One disputed editorial decision last year involved an investigative segment examining a detention facility in El Salvador where migrants were held. The piece was held back after leadership questioned whether it fairly represented the perspective of the U. S. government, which had declined to provide comment. That episode heightened unease among some journalists who worry that editorial standards are being reinterpreted under the new leadership model.
A long association and what he leaves behind
Cooper has been associated with the newsmagazine for nearly twenty years, contributing high-profile pieces while also anchoring a primetime program on a national cable news channel. His reporting for the newsmagazine in recent seasons ranged from work on so-called long-haul Covid sufferers to an investigation of a wreck discovered near Mobile, Alabama, believed by historians to be linked to the last known slave ship to make landfall in the United States.
Earlier in his career, Cooper covered major international and domestic crises, including combat reporting from Iraq and major natural disasters and environmental incidents. Those assignments helped build a reputation for calm, on-the-ground reporting that translated well to the long-form format of the newsmagazine.
Industry newsletters flagged Cooper's decision when he declined to sign a new agreement with the network for the coming season. The development is the latest in a string of departures and restructuring moves that have reshaped senior ranks and correspondent rosters in recent months.
Implications for the show and the newsroom
Cooper's exit will be felt on multiple levels. For the newsmagazine, it removes a familiar anchor of its correspondent lineup at a time when the program's brand and editorial posture are being closely scrutinized. For Cooper, the move allows a shift in focus toward family and his remaining on-air commitments.
Observers say the departure underscores a central tension facing legacy news organizations: balancing prized journalistic talent and the depth of enterprise reporting against new management priorities, shifting audience expectations, and ownership-driven strategic changes. How the network fills the gap left by Cooper—and how remaining staffers respond to leadership decisions—will shape newsroom morale and editorial direction in the months ahead.
Cooper will remain with the newsmagazine through the current season before stepping away, leaving open questions about who will replace his beat responsibilities and how the program will navigate an increasingly fraught media environment.
