ORLANDO, Fla. – CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman is preparing for his first appearance on “60 Minutes,” and even after years in high-profile journalism, he says the moment feels like a brand-new beginning.
Gutman described the experience as feeling like the “first day of school in 1st grade,” adding simply, “This is new.”
For Gutman, who has long watched the legendary CBS news magazine from the audience’s side, joining the program is a meaningful career milestone. “I mean, it’s very humbling,” he said.
A show entering a new chapter
His debut comes during a period of major change for “60 Minutes.” Since Season 58, the iconic broadcast has seen the departure of three veteran journalists and its longtime executive producer, who were fired, while Anderson Cooper opted not to come back.
But Gutman says the program is bigger than any handful of contributors.
“There are over 100 people who are involved in ”60 Minutes” and putting it on,” he said. “Each of them is one of the best in the business.”
He believes the show’s foundation remains intact. “This is still the very same DNA of ”60 Minutes”,” Gutman said. “Most of the staff is there. Most of the staff has been doing this for a very long time.”
New faces, same standard
Among the new contributors is veteran anchor Nora O’Donnell, who Gutman says will bring viewers an exclusive look inside the rescue of a downed American pilot in Iran.
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“Nora talks to him. You see his face. You see new video released by the Pentagon of the rescue itself,” Gutman said. “Only 60 Minutes can bring something like that. Only ”60 Minutes” can get that guy to talk and the Pentagon to show this video.”
Gutman’s first story: cocaine, Ecuador, and a 900% spike in murders
Gutman’s own debut story takes viewers thousands of miles away — but hits close to home.
“Seventy percent of the entire cocaine in the world leaves out of a series of ports in Ecuador,” he said.
The story examines how the drug trade spiked the murder rate in Ecuador by 900% and triggered massive U.S. involvement.
“That’s one of the stories that we’re working on,” Gutman said.
Despite the show’s changes, Gutman sees the transition as an opportunity, not a setback.
“There’s a legacy; there is a certain level of excellence that you have to live up to,” he said. “It’s a challenge — it’s very exciting for all of the new crew that’s come in.”
You can watch Matt Gutman and the full cast of “60 Minutes” Sunday on News 6.
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