Veteran '60 Minutes' Reporter Steve Kroft Exposes Toxic Culture, Trump Lawsuit Fallout, and CBS’s Dire Direction Under New Leadership

In a rare and unfiltered public reckoning, Steve Kroft, one of the most decorated investigative journalists in television history, has issued a scathing indictment of CBS’s flagship news program, *60 Minutes*. The 80-year-old reporter, who spent three decades at the show before retiring in 2019, described the newsroom as a "toxic snake pit" where paranoia and professional jealousy festered beneath its polished exterior. Now, Kroft has sounded the alarm about what he perceives as the erosion of the program’s journalistic integrity under the leadership of Paramount Skydance’s new regime—one that includes controversial figures like editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and media mogul David Ellison, whose ties to former President Donald Trump have reshaped the network’s editorial direction. Speaking on Bill O’Reilly’s *We’ll Do It Live* podcast, Kroft not only condemned the current state of *60 Minutes* but also expressed profound disillusionment with the industry he once revered, calling his own time at the show "all-consuming" and admitting, "I hated it."

How Steve Kroft’s Career at 60 Minutes Became a Double-Edged Sword

Steve Kroft’s journey to *60 Minutes* began in 1984 when he became the London correspondent for CBS News—a role he described as "the best job I ever had." His transition to *60 Minutes* in the late 1980s marked the start of a legendary career that would span three decades and earn him three Peabody Awards, among other accolades. Kroft’s investigative reports on topics ranging from corporate malfeasance to political scandals became the gold standard for broadcast journalism.

Yet, the glamour of his assignments belied the grueling reality. Kroft’s life under the *60 Minutes* microscope was relentless. "The job is just 24 hours a day. I mean, you may get a couple of hours of bad sleep," he recalled. The demands of the role extended far beyond the workday, infiltrating personal time and straining relationships. His candor about the psychological toll reveals a side of high-stakes journalism rarely discussed: the isolation and exhaustion that come with being at the top of the field.

The Toxic Culture: Jealousy and Paranoia Behind the Scenes

Kroft’s most damning revelations centered on the toxic workplace culture that permeated *60 Minutes*. He described a newsroom where colleagues harbored resentment not just toward him but toward anyone who achieved success. "You realize after a while that not everybody was happy that I got this job. There were other people that wanted it," he explained. "And so then you’ve all of a sudden made a bunch of enemies. And that’s… it’s just, you know, it is a snake pit."

The environment fostered paranoia, with staffers constantly on edge, fearing betrayal from within. "They think that somebody is behind them, going to put a shiv in their back," Kroft said. This culture of mutual distrust is not unique to *60 Minutes*—it’s a well-documented issue in competitive newsrooms where resources, fame, and job security are fiercely contested. However, Kroft’s admission that the toxicity drove him to regret his career choice underscores how deeply the workplace environment can shape professional fulfillment.

Personal Scandals and Their Lingering Shadow

Kroft’s tenure at *60 Minutes* was also marred by a highly publicized personal scandal. In 2015, he admitted to a three-year extramarital affair with New York City lawyer Lisan Goines, which he described as "a serious lapse of personal judgment and extremely hurtful to my wife and family." The affair became tabloid fodder when *National Enquirer* published text messages between Kroft and Goines, including one in which he wrote, "I would rather be eating your pudding."

Despite the fallout, Kroft and his wife, journalist Jennet Conant, worked to reconcile. "We are working hard to get past this," he said at the time. Their marriage endured, but the episode served as a stark reminder of how personal missteps can overshadow even the most illustrious careers. For Kroft, the scandal was a rare moment of vulnerability in an otherwise tightly controlled public persona.

The Trump Lawsuit and CBS’s Compliance: A Breach of Journalistic Independence?

One of the most contentious chapters in *60 Minutes*’ recent history centers on former President Donald Trump’s $16 million lawsuit against CBS over the editing of a 2022 interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. The lawsuit alleged that CBS manipulated the footage to portray Trump in a negative light, a claim the network denied. Kroft, who had previously worked closely with Trump’s legal team during his time at *60 Minutes*, weighed in on the matter during his podcast appearance.

Kroft described the lawsuit as a form of "shakedown," suggesting that Trump and his allies were leveraging legal threats to influence the network’s editorial decisions. "I think that Trump’s problems are deeper than Iran and the war," Kroft said. "A lot of it has to do with the fact that he thinks he can do anything he wants."

“I think my big problem with Trump, it feels to me, and this is *60 Minutes* and CBS, I kind of feel like we’re in federal receivership, and the trustees of this receivership are Trump, David Ellison, and Bari Weiss, and they have said quite openly that they think they need to adjust.” — Steve Kroft

The lawsuit’s resolution in 2023—where CBS settled without admitting wrongdoing—sparked outrage among some journalists. Scott Pelley, another *60 Minutes* veteran, lambasted CBS’s previous ownership for caving to political pressure. Speaking at the National Press Foundation’s annual journalism awards, Pelley stated, "Our previous owners at CBS faced political pressure and crumbled," according to *The Guardian*. The settlement raised questions about whether CBS had prioritized legal expediency over journalistic integrity, a concern that resonates with Kroft’s broader critique of the network’s current leadership.

Bari Weiss and the ‘MAGA-Curious’ Reboot of 60 Minutes

The appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News in 2024 has accelerated what many see as a seismic shift in the network’s editorial stance. Weiss, a former *New York Times* opinion writer known for her conservative-leaning commentary, has positioned herself as a champion of what she terms "viewpoint diversity"—a euphemism critics argue is a veiled attempt to mainstream right-wing perspectives under the guise of balance. Weiss’s tenure has been marked by aggressive moves to reshape *60 Minutes*, a program that has seen declining ratings and an aging audience.

Sources told *The New York Post* that Weiss is determined to "make the show harder," a phrase interpreted by insiders as a push toward more conservative-friendly content. Her leadership style has already drawn controversy. In one instance, Weiss reportedly pulled an episode of *60 Minutes* hours before broadcast over concerns about insufficient input from the Trump administration. The decision was met with skepticism, particularly as it echoed the same kind of political pressure that Pelley condemned.

The fallout from Weiss’s editorial decisions has extended to the program’s top talent. Anderson Cooper, one of CBS’s most prominent correspondents, declined to renew his contract in response to the changes, signaling deeper discontent among *60 Minutes*’ veteran journalists. "She wants to put her stamp on *60 Minutes*, and how you do that is you either get rid of the top producer or the top correspondent," a source told the *Post*.

The Decline of 60 Minutes: Ratings, Relevance, and the Cost of Ideological Pivot

For decades, *60 Minutes* was the undisputed king of broadcast news, a program that defined investigative journalism for millions of Americans. Its investigative reports exposed Watergate-era scandals, corporate fraud, and political corruption, earning it a reputation as the gold standard for television journalism. However, in recent years, the show has struggled to maintain its relevance in an era of fragmented media consumption and declining linear TV viewership.

Under Weiss’s leadership, CBS has sought to revitalize *60 Minutes* by adopting a more combative and ideologically driven approach. While the network frames this as a necessary correction to an out-of-touch liberal bias, critics argue it risks further alienating a core audience that has long associated *60 Minutes* with balanced, hard-hitting journalism. The show’s average viewership has dropped from over 15 million in the 1990s to roughly 5 million in recent years, according to Nielsen data—a decline that predates Weiss’s tenure but has accelerated under her watch.

The Broader Implications: What Does the Future Hold for 60 Minutes?

Steve Kroft’s revelations are more than just a personal indictment of a toxic workplace; they reflect broader anxieties about the future of American journalism. The erosion of trust in mainstream media, the politicization of newsrooms, and the pressure to produce content that aligns with corporate or ideological agendas are challenges facing institutions across the industry. CBS’s handling of the Trump lawsuit and its embrace of a more partisan editorial line under Weiss suggest that the network is prioritizing short-term ratings and political alignment over the long-term credibility of its flagship program.

For Kroft, the changes at *60 Minutes* are symptomatic of a deeper crisis. "I think there’s a lot of fear over there. Fear of losing their job, fear of what’s happening to the country, fear of losing the First Amendment, all of those things," he said. His words carry weight not just because of his storied career but because they come from someone who witnessed the show’s golden age—and now sees it unraveling.

Key Takeaways

• Steve Kroft, a 30-year *60 Minutes* veteran, described the show’s newsroom as a toxic "snake pit" rife with jealousy and paranoia, calling his time there "all-consuming" and admitting he "hated it."
• Kroft criticized CBS’s settlement of Donald Trump’s $16 million lawsuit over an edited *60 Minutes* interview, calling it a "shakedown" and warning it undermined journalistic independence.
• Bari Weiss, CBS’s editor-in-chief, is overhauling *60 Minutes* with a more conservative-friendly editorial approach, pulling episodes over Trump administration input concerns and prompting high-profile departures like Anderson Cooper’s.
• The show’s viewership has plummeted from over 15 million in the 1990s to around 5 million today, raising questions about whether ideological pivots will restore relevance or accelerate decline.
• Kroft’s revelations highlight broader industry anxieties about the erosion of journalistic integrity amid political pressure, corporate influence, and the struggle to adapt to modern media consumption.

Frequently Asked Questions