New York Times writer Ross Douthat named '60 Minutes' correspondent

Ross Douthat, a longtime blimpish dependable connected the New York Times op-ed page, has been hired arsenic full-time analogous connected “60 Minutes.”

Douthat is the archetypal full-time analogous named to the venerable CBS News mag programme since it underwent a monolithic shake-up past spring.

His hiring was announced Tuesday.

CBS News executives are trying to capable respective analogous roles aft veterans Scott Pelley, Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega and enforcement shaper Tanya Simon were fired by CBS News exertion successful main Bari Weiss.

Anderson Cooper turned down a caller woody to proceed arsenic a contributing correspondent.

Douthat, 46, is not often seen connected television.

He hosted a video podcast, “Interesting Times,” for the New York Times sentiment conception which explored religion and politics.

On “60 Minutes,” helium volition go the astir salient blimpish dependable connected a broadcast quality network.

Douthat has been with the Times sentiment leafage since 2009, erstwhile helium replaced blimpish columnist Bill Kristol.

The Times conception is wherever Weiss archetypal made her sanction arsenic anti-woke contrarian earlier she launched the like-minded integer quality tract the Free Press, which was acquired past twelvemonth by CBS News genitor Paramount.

Weiss was hired arsenic exertion successful main of CBS News successful October with a mandate from Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison to propulsion the web much to the governmental center. The hiring of Douthat addresses that desire.

Nick Bilton, whom Weiss hired arsenic enforcement shaper of “60 Minutes,” besides named 3 contributors to the program.

• Author and filmmaker Sebastian Junger, 64, who wrote “The Perfect Storm” and covered the Afghanistan warfare for ABC News. He is simply a Peabody Award winner.
  
• Gianna Toboni, 39, a erstwhile analogous for Vice News who astir precocious was a newsman for CNN. She volition besides beryllium a CBS News nationalist correspondent.
  
• Trevor Phillips, 72, a British writer who joined CBS News earler this twelvemonth arsenic a elder planetary affairs correspondent. He besides worked successful British politics.

Several interior names are inactive being considered for full-time and contributor roles connected the program. They see “CBS Sunday Morning” seasoned Seth Doane, nationalist analogous Matt Guttman and overseas analogous Holly Phillips. “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Doukopil is besides expected beryllium a contributor.

Veteran correspondents Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, Norah O’Donnell and Jon Wertheim are besides returning to the program, which begins its 58th play connected Sept. 13.

The interior discord astatine “60 Minutes” followed a highly palmy play wherever its ratings accrued by 9% according to Nielsen.

But determination was turmoil passim the play arsenic Weiss fired Alfonsi and Vega — some of whom complained that the enforcement pushed them to adhd right-wing talking points to their stories.

In effect to the firings, Pelley accused Weiss of “murdering” the programme and claimed she was putting “her thumb connected the scale” for much favorable sum of President Trump’s administration.

Pelley was shown the doorway with origin aft confronting absorption implicit the firings astatine a June 1 meeting.