60 Minutes is pulling the plug on one of its longtime correspondents. Sharyn Alfonsi, who began with that CBS program over a decade ago, has won multiple Emmy Awards for her journalism work.
She’s covered some of the biggest stories throughout her career, including Hurricane Katrina and the US withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. Since Bari Weiss came on board as the editor-in-chief of CBS, though, Sharyn’s status with the program was said to be in jeopardy.
She and Bari have reportedly been butting heads on various issues.
What led to Sharyn Alfonsi’s contract not being renewed
Sharyn is speaking out against CBS amid the news that she’ll be leaving 60 Minutes. In an interview with the New York Times, Sharyn made it clear, “I’m not resigning.” She did say that if they want her gone, “they’ll have to fire me.”
The New York Times has learned that her contract has not been renewed. That has sent shockwaves throughout the newsroom.
In her interview, Sharyn had plenty to say about the decision. “I think it was a deliberate choice to penalize a journalist for refusing to sanitize accurate reporting,” she said.
According to Sharyn, her agent had been making inquiries about her employment status for several weeks without receiving any responses. She says that she’s still employed by CBS, but there’s no contract in place. Sharyn admitted that she hadn’t expected to return to 60 Minutes.
Since 2015, she has been a regular contributor to 60 Minutes. Six months ago it appeared as though things between her and Bari were not good. The editor decided to pull her segment about torture in Salvadoran prisons.
In an email to her colleagues, Sharyn claimed the decision was a “political” one. Bari denied that claim, suggesting the piece needed a few tweaks. This season of 60 Minutes ended earlier this month.
Many of Bari’s decisions since joining CBS have been questioned. Among them is Tony Dokoupil becoming the new anchor of the CBS Evening News in December. Insiders called it an insult to journalism.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THE DECISION NOT TO RENEW SHARYN ALFONSI’S CONTRACT WAS PERSONAL?
