Anderson Cooper reportedly confessed to CNN colleagues that he doesn’t want to work with CBS News boss Bari Weiss. For those unversed, Paramount, which owns CBS, is finalizing a staggering $111 billion deal to purchase CNN’s parent company. This has fueled speculation that Weiss will also oversee CNN. Notably, Cooper left his gig with 60 Minutes in May this year.
Anderson Cooper reportedly does not want to work with Bari Weiss at CBS
Former 60 Minutes correspondent Anderson Cooper has reportedly confided in CNN colleagues that he doesn’t want to work with Bari Weiss at CBS. As per The New York Times, CBS’ parent company, Paramount, is finalizing a $111 billion purchase of CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery. This has raised concerns and speculation that the dilemma CBS News staffers are facing will spill over to CNN.
The Emmy Award-winning journalist officially announced his departure from 60 Minutes in February. This came four months after Weiss took over as editor-in-chief of CBS News.
At the time, Cooper told Entertainment Weekly: “Being a correspondent at 60 Minutes has been one of the great honors of my career. I got to tell amazing stories and work with some of the best producers, editors, and camera crews in the business. For nearly 20 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.”
Interestingly, when Cooper eventually departed from 60 Minutes, it wasn’t without its share of drama. His fellow correspondents, Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, were dismissed from their jobs. Not only that, executive producer Tanya Simon and executive editor Draggan Mihailovich were fired from their roles as well.
Alfonsi and Vega slammed Weiss and CBS News leadership for shielding those in positions of power. Veteran journalist Scott Pelley, too, faced the heat after he accused Weiss of “murdering” 60 Minutes during an explosive staff meeting.
Notably, Cooper hasn’t publicly spoken against Weiss or CBS. However, he expressed his apprehensions about the changing landscape at 60 Minutes. Cooper shared that he hoped that “60 Minutes remains 60 Minutes.”
