CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss has reportedly intervened in another politically sensitive “60 Minutes” story.
She yanked veteran CBS News reporter Holly Williams from a planned “60 Minutes” interview of British populist politician Nigel Farage in favor of newly hired senior global affairs correspondent Sir Trevor Phillips, according to Breaker Media.
The outlet reported that the Farage story was originally approved by former executive producer Tanya Simon and assigned to Williams and producer Erin Lyall. That was before Simon was fired and Nick Bilton took over as executive producer.
Breaker reported that Weiss later informed Williams that Phillips would conduct the interview instead of her.
The assignment has taken on added significance in recent days after Farage resigned his seat in Parliament and triggered a by-election in his Clacton constituency while under scrutiny over alleged failures to disclose millions of pounds in financial support and gifts.
Breaker also reported that many veteran “60 Minutes” producers have been unwilling to work on the story because of criticism that Phillips has faced over his views on Islam.
A source with knowledge of the situation disputed Breaker’s account, telling The Post that no story assignments for the upcoming season have been finalized and that development of the show’s 59th season remains fluid.
The source said it was inaccurate to suggest producers are refusing to work on a story that has not yet been formally assigned, adding that Phillips does not officially join CBS News until later this month.
This is the second time that Weiss has reportedly taken a veteran journalist off a planned “60 Minutes” interview of a major international figure.
In May, Weiss reportedly tapped Major Garrett for a highly anticipated sit-down with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though longtime correspondent Lesley Stahl had spent months trying to land the interview.
The source with knowledge of the situation pushed back on the suggestion that Weiss’s involvement in major story decisions amounted to improper editorial interference, arguing that overseeing significant editorial calls is a core responsibility of a newsroom editor-in-chief.
The source also defended Phillips, pointing to his record of aggressively questioning both Farage and his allies, including interviews in which he challenged the British politician over previous remarks about Muslims.
Recent months have seen one of the most turbulent periods in the nearly six-decade history of “60 Minutes.”
The tensions surfaced publicly when correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi accused CBS News leadership of attempting to “sanitize accurate reporting” when her report on El Salvador’s CECOT prison was delayed shortly before broadcast and subjected to additional reporting and review last year.
CBS News has maintained that the editorial process reflected standard journalistic practice.
The turmoil escalated after longtime executive producer Bill Owens resigned, saying growing corporate involvement had deprived him of the editorial independence he believed was essential to leading “60 Minutes.”
Following Owens’ departure, Weiss dismissed his successor, Tanya Simon, along with Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, senior executive producer Draggan Mihailovich, veteran producer Guy Campanile and digital operations chief Matthew Polevoy as part of a sweeping overhaul of the broadcast.
The shakeup culminated in the firing of veteran correspondent Scott Pelley after he confronted Weiss and Bilton during a staff meeting, accusing Weiss of “murdering” “60 Minutes” and alleging she had been “brought in to kill it.”
Despite the upheaval, Bilton has sought to reassure staff that “60 Minutes” will remain independent, writing in a memo last month that “the foundation of 60 Minutes is its journalistic independence” and that “we will always make the story the North Star.”
Breaker reported that Bilton is expected to hire two additional correspondents and build a dedicated investigative unit as the broadcast prepares to launch its fall season.
The Post has sought comment from CBS News and Farage.
