CBS’s 60 Minutes adds another high-profile hire after firings and exits
Ariel Levy, a staff writer for The New Yorker, is joining “60 Minutes” as a contributor, CBS News announced Monday.
The move marks the latest addition to the news program following a sweeping overhaul led by CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss.
In a memo sent to newsroom staff, newly appointed Executive Producer Nick Bilton praised Levy’s career, which includes nearly 30 years covering culture, gender and health.
“Ariel is an astonishingly original writer and reporter, fearlessly going to far-flung places and exploring sensitive topics that have driven consequential debates,” Bilton wrote. “For nearly three decades, first at New York magazine and then at The New Yorker, she has reported on culture, gender, sexuality, health and the people and ideas shaping modern life in a way that is entirely unique.”
Levy has served as a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2008, where her work ranged from analyzing the “Girls Gone Wild” franchise to profiling major political and cultural figures. She is also the author of “Female Chauvinist Pigs” and the memoir “The Rules Do Not Apply.”
In 2014, Levy received a National Magazine Award for her deeply personal essay, “Thanksgiving in Mongolia”, which detailed suffering a miscarriage the previous year while five months pregnant during a reporting trip to the country.
Her arrival comes as the news program works to rebuild its roster ahead of its 59th season premiere on Sept. 13.
“Ariel adds to our truly exceptional group of correspondents and contributors for Season 59,” Bilton said. “They bring different journalism backgrounds, experiences, interests and ways of telling stories, but they share the qualities that matter here: curiosity, independence, incredible reporting, a willingness to hold power to account, and an instinct for the kind of stories people can’t stop watching.”
Bilton previously brought on conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, author Sebastian Junger, CBS News correspondent Trevor Phillips and filmmaker Gianna Toboni in July. They join returning correspondents Lesley Stahl, Jon Wertheim, Bill Whitaker and Norah O’Donnell.
The hiring spree follows a series of high-profile departures. Weiss pushed out former Executive Producer Tanya Simon, executive editor Draggan Mihailovich, and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega in late May. Anchor Scott Pelley departed shortly after, following a disagreement with Bilton, while Anderson Cooper left earlier in the year over concerns regarding the network’s direction under Weiss.
Weiss has sought to reshape “60 Minutes” to attract younger and digital-first audiences, while advocating for broader coverage of Trump administration officials and conservative viewpoints.
The editorial shifts come amid internal strain following Paramount’s settlement of a $16 million lawsuit with the Trump administration over a pre-election interview conducted by Whitaker with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The legal battle and subsequent settlement, reached as Paramount finalized its sale to Skydance, prompted the resignations of senior CBS News executives Bill Owens and Wendy McMahon.
The financial stakes remain high for the network. Data from iSpot indicates “60 Minutes” generated roughly $67 million to $69 million in advertising revenue in both 2024 and 2025, driven largely by major pharmaceutical sponsors including Rinvoq, Skyrizi, Claritin and Vabysmo.
However, the abrupt restructuring has compressed production timelines for the upcoming season, leaving fewer staff members to develop segments during the summer months, as reported by Variety.
