Anderson Cooper announced Monday he is stepping down from his role as a correspondent on CBS News’ 60 Minutes after nearly two decades with the program, a departure coinciding with ongoing internal changes at the network.
Cooper, who has balanced his duties at 60 Minutes with his role at CNN since the 2006-2007 season, cited a desire to spend more time with his young children as the primary reason for his decision. “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 in a statement.
CBS News expressed gratitude for Cooper’s contributions, stating the door remains open for a potential return. “For more than two decades, Anderson Cooper has taken 60 Minutes viewers on journeys to faraway places, told us unforgettable stories, reported consequential investigations and interviewed many prominent figures,” the network said. “We’re grateful to him for dedicating so much of his life to this broadcast, and understand the importance of spending more time with family. 60 Minutes will be here if he ever wants to return.”
Cooper’s exit follows the appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News in October, following Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of The Free Press. Weiss unveiled a strategy in January to add 19 recent contributors and adopt a “streaming mentality” in an effort to boost ratings, which have lagged behind those of ABC, and NBC.
The departure of Cooper is the latest in a series of staffing changes at CBS News under Weiss’s leadership. In December, Weiss reportedly intervened to halt a 60 Minutes report concerning the Cecot prison in El Salvador, requesting additional context related to the Trump administration’s involvement with immigration policies and the facility. The report focused on the detention of Venezuelan immigrants without due process.
Cooper’s role at 60 Minutes was facilitated through an arrangement between CBS News and CNN, both owned by separate parent companies – Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery, respectively.
