60 Minutes star reporter nearly quit after Bari Weiss inserted herself into piece on Israeli settler violence: report

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.

Longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl nearly quit after clashing with CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss over a haunting news report on Israeli settler violence, according to a report.

Stahl, an 84-year-old veteran reporter who has been at the storied news magazine broadcast for 35 years, accompanied a group of Palestinians as they attempted to get to their property — and were violently confronted by Israeli settlers.

The powerful piece went through a strict round of screenings with Weiss, who is a staunch supporter of Israel. The review process apparently became “extraordinarily contentious” and left Stahl frustrated and on the verge of quitting, sources told Status.

Weiss and her deputy managing editor, Charles Forelle, issued Stahl many notes on the piece, and Weiss became “very, very hands-on,” one source said.

Stahl pushed back on some of their notes, which were not specific critiques but broad suggestions, insiders said.

An “aggressive back-and-forth” began after Forelle suggested holding the piece for a later date, the insiders said. However, Stahl pushed for the report to air Sunday and, in the end, won.

Even though the piece aired, the review screenings continued into Saturday. Meanwhile, the public listings, usually published Friday, weren’t shared until Sunday morning.

“They didn’t know if it was going to air because the screenings got so heated,” one source told Status.

The alleged conflict is reminiscent of the public clash between Weiss and former 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi after her segment on El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison was abruptly pulled off air in December.

At the time, Weiss had wanted to give the Trump administration more time to comment, but it didn’t. Weiss was accused of being too Trump-friendly, and Alfonsi later left CBS when her contract expired in May.

Weiss was tapped to lead CBS News in October 2025, following Paramount Skydance’s $150 million acquisition of her online outlet, The Free Press. She previously served as an opinion writer for The New York Times and has described herself as a “radical centrist” and a “Zionist fanatic.”

In her time at the helm of the company, she has been accused by critics of steering the coverage in a more favorable direction toward the Trump administration and the Israeli government.

“This is a ludicrous, twisted narrative. All ‘60 Minutes’ pieces go through a famously rigorous editorial process — which includes edits from editors. This piece received far fewer edits than most,” a CBS spokesperson told Status.

The Independent has contacted CBS News for more information.

The alleged incident comes after network leaders apparently intervened in a report about the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, though the piece also ended up making it to air, according to the report.

The piece was met with pushback over the inclusion of the death toll from the war in Gaza, insiders told Status. In the end, the figure was not aired.

Holly Williams, the foreign correspondent who penned the report, was left frustrated by the edit and also left her contemplating whether she would stay at CBS long term, according to the report.

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in