Departing CBS star reporter Anderson Cooper just delivered one of the most subtle and elegant middle fingers in television history.
In his final appearance on 60 Minutes, the legendary anchor made it crystal clear how he feels about the direction Bari Weiss has taken CBS News:
“I hope 60 Minutes remains 60 Minutes… I think the independence of 60 Minutes has been critical.”
Between the lines, Cooper speaking truth to power: stop turning this once-great show into another arm of the growing de-facto pro-Trump state media that already consists of Fox, Newsmax, OAN, and the like.
Sources say Weiss was “furious” and “blindsided” by Cooper’s comments.
Apparently she wasn’t given a heads-up, and it stung even more because what she really wanted to do was give the bankable Cooper a bigger role at the network, only for him to give her the big oh-hell-no.
The “anti-woke” queen Weiss was installed as editor-in-chief with zero television news experience and has presided over a string of scandals, declining ratings, and growing internal chaos. Under her watch, 60 Minutes segments have been spiked or softened to avoid offending Trumpworld, while viewership continues to bleed buckets.
Cooper’s departure is just the latest sign that real journalists are bailing on CBS as it gets remade in the image of The Free Press and MAGA sensibilities. Weiss’s tenure has been defined by controversy, declining trust, and the overwhelming sense that the network is more interested in pleasing one man in hopes of making more billions, than serving the public.
The contrast between Weiss and Cooper is manifest. Cooper leaves the sinking ship with dignity and his impeccable reputation intact. Weiss is left in the empty room, ranting at the heavens that her offer of tainted fame and fortune wasn’t enough to retain the ratings magnet.
CBS has devolved from a legendary news organization into a billionaire’s plaything, willing to throw its standards out the window to suck up to the loathsome Trump in pursuit of the almighty dollar.
Well, played, Mr. Cooper. Best of luck in finding a new platform that appreciates your ethical standards as much as your reportorial skills