CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss reportedly pulled out all the stops to convince Anderson Cooper to renew his contract with the network.
Weiss offered Cooper what one source described as “a crazy amount” of money in an effort to persuade him to renew his contract and even expand his role at 60 Minutes, but it wasn’t enough to lure him into a new deal, according to Status.
Cooper, 58, announced this week that he would leave his correspondent role at 60 Minutes, calling it “one of the great honors of my career.” The news dealt a major blow to the already troubled CBS News network under Weiss’ leadership.
In an official statement, he said he stepped away to spend more time with his young children.
“For nearly twenty years, I’ve been able to balance my jobs at CNN and CBS, but I have little kids now and I want to spend as much time with them as possible, while they still want to spend time with me,” Cooper said.
Tensions have reportedly been simmering behind the scenes, however.
Status reported that before Cooper decided to walk away, Weiss had spent months attempting to convince the star to take on an expanded role at 60 Minutes. A newly inked deal would have given him a larger presence on the show and the network as a whole. He effectively would have become the face of the franchise, the source said.
One source told Status that Cooper felt increasingly uncomfortable with what they described as a “rightward direction” at CBS News under Weiss’ leadership. “He wasn’t comfortable with the direction the show was taking under Bari, and is in a position where he doesn’t have to put up with it,” the source said.
Weiss was installed as editor in chief at CBS News by Paramount CEO David Ellison after Paramount bought her right-leaning blog The Free Press for a reported $150 million.
Last month, Status reported that Weiss delayed a planned 60 Minutes segment examining the Trump administration’s decision to accept white refugees from South Africa. The outlet said veteran producer Michael Gavshon grew “exasperated” by what it characterized as “abnormal” edits to the segment.
A separate CBS source, speaking to the New York Post, said Cooper “doesn’t like that she has inserted herself.” The source added, “He doesn’t want the hassle. This is the first time any of them had a boss they have to answer to.”
According to Radar, at least one other colleague will be departing from the network as staffers openly rebel against Weiss’ “anti-woke” approach to the newsroom.
“Anderson is just the tip of the iceberg – the unrest and disillusionment are widespread inside CBS, and it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the star journalists follow suit,” a source told Radar.
The source added: “The anger is at a fever pitch, and CBS News has become a shell of itself. Fear at every turn with a boss that doesn’t seem to care. How sad.”
The Daily Beast has contacted representatives for 60 Minutes and Cooper for comment.
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