60 Minutes: A New Era

Who's Joining the '60 Minutes' Roster This Season

Douthat is a well-known opinion writer at The New York Times. He is considered a conservative voice in mainstream media. O'Donnell, meanwhile, anchored the CBS Evening News for years before stepping down. Both will now serve as full correspondents on the show, according to Fox Carolina.

Three contributors were also named. Sebastian Junger, a celebrated war journalist and filmmaker, will join the show. So will Trevor Phillips, a British broadcaster and diversity policy expert, and Gianna Toboni, an investigative journalist, according to WMBF News.

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Three Veteran Correspondents Remain as the Show's Backbone

Not everyone at "60 Minutes" is new. Lesley Stahl, one of the longest-serving correspondents in the show's history, will stay on. Jon Wertheim and Bill Whitaker will also continue as correspondents, according to WITN. The three veterans will give the new team a foundation of experience.

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Bari Weiss and a New Direction for the Newsmagazine

The new hires come on the heels of a significant editorial shakeup. Bari Weiss, the founder of The Free Press and a sharp critic of mainstream media, was named editor-in-chief of CBS News. Her arrival signaled a clear shift in direction for the network, according to WSMV.

The hiring of Douthat — a conservative columnist — fits that new tone. It marks a notable departure for a show historically anchored in traditional broadcast journalism. New executive producer Nick Bilton, a former tech journalist and author, is also a fresh face in the role, according to WAVE 3.

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What the Changes Mean for One of TV's Oldest News Shows

"60 Minutes" first aired in 1968. It is one of the longest-running and most-watched news programs in American TV history. The 59th season will be its most publicly scrutinized in years. The addition of a conservative columnist and a new editor-in-chief suggests CBS is trying to broaden its appeal, according to KTTC.

Whether the new lineup wins over viewers — or alienates them — remains to be seen. But with Weiss steering editorial direction and Bilton managing production, the show is clearly signaling it wants to look and feel different, according to WABI.

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