On Sunday, to mark Anderson Cooper's final episode of "60 Minutes" after nearly two decades as one of its correspondents, the newsmagazine conducted an exit interview with Cooper and posted it online as part of its "Overtime" series. In the interview, Cooper reflected on his time at the show—and delivered remarks that were not-so-subtly aimed at embattled CBS News boss Bari Weiss.
Cooper explained that "independence" is "crucial" to the show. That trust with viewers is "critical." And that overseeing the program “requires an appreciation of the history and the sacrifices and the hard work of the people here.”
“I hope ‘60 Minutes’ remains ‘60 Minutes,’” Cooper said, surely knowing that Weiss plans to overhaul the program now that the season has ended. “There’s very few things that have been around for as long as ‘60 Minutes’ has and maintained the quality that it has.”
The remarks were striking. Not only were they delivered by Cooper, one of the most recognized news anchors in the world, but they were published by CBS News—the very platform Weiss oversees. Soon after the "Overtime" segment was published, Cooper's remarks generated a wave of headlines, adding to an endless bout of negative press Weiss has grappled with as CBS News boss.
Behind the scenes, Weiss was furious, Status has learned. Indeed, according to people familiar with the matter…
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The Verge Editor-In-Chief Nilay Patel. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Vox Media)
Status Scoop | The Verge Diverges: The Verge Editor-In-Chief Nilay Patel has been quietly shopping the technology news site for a new owner as it prepares to be spun off from Vox Media following James Murdoch’s deal to acquire some of the digital conglomerate’s assets. Status has learned that Patel…
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