STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
CBS did not renew the contract of Sharyn Alfonsi. She was a longtime journalist for "60 Minutes" who reported on detainees that the Trump administration sent to a prison in El Salvador. CBS News chief Bari Weiss held that story, although she ultimately broadcast it. Natalie Korach is covering this. She's a media correspondent for the outlet Status. Good morning.
NATALIE KORACH: Good morning. Thank you for having me.
INSKEEP: Glad you're with us. What does it mean that Sharyn Alfonsi's contract was not renewed?
KORACH: So currently, Sharyn Alfonsi is an at-will employee of the network. So her contract was not renewed for "60 Minutes" but she still currently works for the network. She issued a pretty stunning statement yesterday, which included that - she was urging her colleagues to hold the line against corporate intrusion, and it was very much a shot at corporate leadership of CBS News directly. And currently, "60 Minutes" employees are quite distraught over her departure, even though it was anticipated.
INSKEEP: OK. Wow. So she's still at the network. She's defying the network in a way. And the backstory, I guess we should remind people, this story was held. Alfonsi, if I recall, wrote an email which leaked, saying her story had been held for political reasons. Bari Weiss said, oh, you didn't try hard enough to hear from the Trump administration, although in the end, she never got the administration to comment either and they just broadcast the story. It was a big embarrassment for CBS management.
KORACH: That's correct. And it even aired in Canada after being pulled at the last minute. But, yes, Alfonsi did accuse network leadership of yanking the segment for political reasons. But she had tried to resolve the issue with Bari Weiss privately prior to sending that email, Status learned last night, but Weiss never called her and has made very minimal effort to connect with Alfonsi in the months since.
INSKEEP: OK. So this is a little confusing and unsettled. Alfonsi's still at the network. She's no longer, though, at "60 Minutes," which is absolutely one of the premier programs in all of broadcast journalism. And it's not the only change there. Anderson Cooper is stepping away from "60 Minutes" after a couple of decades. What does this mean for "60 Minutes" now that they've finished a season and they're getting ready for the next season?
KORACH: Well, it's a time of just uncertainty for them. As they await the next season, Bari Weiss intends to make some changes to the program and overhaul how they've done things in years past, and that's concerning the staff. She's considered bringing in an outside journalist as an additional copilot for the executive producer, Tanya Simon, as well as floating some programming additions.
INSKEEP: I'm trying to understand that. Does that mean yanking the program to the right? Does it mean being a little more open-minded? What does that actually mean?
KORACH: It's unclear at the moment, but ultimately, "60 Minutes" throughout history has been insulated from top-down network meddling. And so regardless of how she decides to move the network, this is a concern for staffers inside who feel as though the stability of their program is being fundamentally altered.
INSKEEP: Can I just ask? "60 Minutes" has had a lot of independence over the decades because it has a huge audience and because it makes a lot of money...
KORACH: Correct.
INSKEEP: ...And people didn't want to mess with that. I guess it doesn't have the audience it once did, but does it still have a big audience and is it still a big moneymaker for CBS?
KORACH: Absolutely. It's bringing in massive ratings for the network as well as prestige. Even last night, it took home Emmy awards from the News Emmys, and it's one of the last remaining success stories in broadcast news generally.
INSKEEP: OK. I'll continue reading Status to find out what happens over there. Natalie, thanks so much.
KORACH: Thank you.
INSKEEP: Natalie Korach is a media correspondent for Status.
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