Anderson Cooper will leave 60 Minutes after nearly two decades as a correspondent, ending a rare dual-network arrangement that let him report for CBS while anchoring at CNN. Cooper told colleagues he will not renew his CBS contract, saying he wants more time with his two young children.
In a statement carried by multiple outlets, Cooper called the job “one of the great honors” of his career and praised the producers, editors and camera crews he worked with on the Sunday newsmagazine. CBS said it was grateful for his reporting and left open the possibility of future contributions.
Cooper joined the program in the 2006–07 season while continuing to front Anderson Cooper 360°, a pairing that became part of his public identity: field reporting for CBS, nightly anchoring for CNN. Reuters reported he recently renewed his CNN deal, closing off speculation that CBS might try to lure him into a larger full-time role.
His exit lands during a volatile stretch for CBS News, where Bari Weiss has led a newsroom reset following the corporate transition at Paramount Global. Recent internal disputes have focused on editorial direction and how aggressively the organization handles politically sensitive reporting, issues that have drawn attention as the division faces ratings pressure and reputational scrutiny.
People familiar with Cooper’s thinking said the decision came down to time, not a single breaking point. Even so, the move removes a high-profile correspondent from a franchise that has long marketed continuity and authority, at a moment when CBS leadership is trying to retool its journalism strategy under intense partisan pressure, including legal fights tied to Donald Trump.
