CBS News has opted not to renew the contract of “60 Minutes” correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, following a period of tension where she accused the network’s leadership of meddling in political reporting.
Alfonsi informed The Post on Wednesday that her contract lapsed over the weekend, and her agent’s follow-up calls regarding the situation have been ignored by the network.
While Alfonsi remains employed by CBS News on an at-will basis, sources with knowledge of the situation indicated to The Post that she does not anticipate returning to “60 Minutes.”
“The message is unmistakable: my tenure at ’60 Minutes’ seems to have concluded,” Alfonsi declared in a statement.
She claimed that CBS management is penalizing her “for refusing to dilute factually accurate reporting.” Alfonsi cautioned that the network is straying from the program’s legacy of “fearless, independent reporting,” opting instead for “access journalism over accountability.”
“The wall between editorial independence and corporate interest at CBS is being methodically torn down,” Alfonsi said, adding that journalists willing to challenge authority were being “pushed aside in favor of those who will not.
“If this continues,” she added, “the result will be a broadcast that looks like ’60 Minutes’ but lacks the courage and character to produce journalism that matters.”
Alfonsi’s loss of her deal was first reported by the New York Times. The Post has sought comment from CBS News.
The network’s long-running television newsmagazine is on hiatus after wrapping up its most recent season.
Alfonsi’s outgoing remarks were the latest fusillade in tumult that goes back to December. That month, editor-in-chief Bari Weiss abruptly shelved the journo’s investigation about deportees to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison.
At the time, Alfonsi blasted the decision internally as “political,” while Weiss insisted the reporting “was not ready” and requested last-minute editorial changes, including interviews with Trump officials.
The segment aired the following month with additional White House comments included.
Alfonsi later blew up at Weiss deputy Adam Rubenstein, accusing him of being a “mouthpiece” for the Trump administration, according to Puck News.
She decried “corporate meddling and editorial fear” earlier this month.
Her similarly outspoken “60 Minutes” colleague Scott Pelley’s job is on the line, sources previously told The Post. He reportedly said last year that Weiss “needs to take her job a little bit more seriously” if she’s going to weigh in on editorial decisions.
Weiss, who took the helm of CBS News last fall after Skydance acquired the network’s paramount company Paramount, is planning a broader shake-up at “60 Minutes.” She’s eyeing layoffs this summer that could engulf some of the show’s top talent and producers, The Post previously reported.