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Henry Schuster: 5 things to know as 60 Minutes producer leaves CBS with attack on network's boss Bari Weiss
The exit of a seasoned producer from CBS's 60 Minutes highlights internal strife following Bari Weiss's controversial dismissals.
A seasoned producer from 60 Minutes has declared his exit from the CBS News program, delivering a critical remark regarding the turmoil involving the network's leader, Bari Weiss.
Henry Schuster leaves CBS
- Henry Schuster, who joined 60 Minutes in 2007, announced his departure from the esteemed news magazine on LinkedIn, stating that he had been contemplating leaving for some time.
- Schuster mentioned that he made the decision to depart when the opportunity arose in February, implying that he agreed to a buyout.
- Although Schuster is choosing to leave voluntarily, his statement recognized that his exit has been “overshadowed by the forced departures of so many colleagues and friends” at 60 Minutes during Weiss's unfortunate leadership.
- The founder of The Free Press lacked any prior experience in broadcast television news before being unexpectedly appointed as the editor-in-chief of the now Trump-aligned network by CBS’s new owner, David Ellison.
- Since her appointment, Weiss has managed various scandals, observed a decline in ratings throughout the network, and created significant tension in her efforts to revamp the flagship program 60 Minutes, which has historically maintained editorial autonomy from the remainder of CBS News.
Last month, Weiss dismissed several employees from the network, including 60 Minutes correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi, as well as executive producer Tanya Simon, on a day that CBS employees have referred to as “Black Thursday.”
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Veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley was also let go after a confrontation with Nick Bilton, the new executive producer of the magazine show, during a tense meeting where Pelley charged Weiss with “murdering” 60 Minutes.
In other instances, Weiss has often intervened in the editorial decisions of 60 Minutes, including the assignment of different CBS journalists to carry out interviews for the program rather than utilizing its regular correspondents.
At the beginning of her tenure, Weiss generated controversy by retracting an "Inside CECOT" segment of 60 Minutes that focused on the infamous El Salvador prison just prior to its scheduled broadcast.
What's next for Henry Schuster?
In a recent LinkedIn post, Schuster mentioned that he has not made a decision regarding his next career step.
“What’s next? I ain’t the retiring type, so after a bit of a break, I will think about what comes next. Maybe I will finally get my high school diploma, or see if I have another book in me. Or maybe something else,” Schuster said.
“I will try to avoid being a cliché, so I’m not starting a podcast or a Substack. At least not now.”
