Among the accusations from former correspondents, Scott Pelley has alleged political bias from management, and Sharyn Alfonsi noted that interference came to one of her stories after the editorial process was finished. Meanwhile, Cecilia Vega just recently noted that her stories also received unwelcome feedback from management and were pushed to include claims that weren’t verifiable.
Regarding Pelley’s and Vega’s accusations, CBS News previously sent a statement to TVNewser, denying that management made decisions for political reasons. CBS News didn’t return a request for comment regarding Alfonsi’s departure in May.
But is there truly overstepping under the management of editor-in-chief Bari Weiss? And if so, when and how is it occurring?
To better understand the situation, TVNewser spoke with two different sources familiar with 60 Minutes’ editorial process prior to Weiss coming on in Oct. 2025, learning what goes into editorial and where management oversight fits in.
A look at 60 Minutes’ editorial workflow
According to the sources, the 60 Minutes editorial process begins months in advance as a collaborative effort between the correspondent and their producer as they each pitch potential story ideas. If they agree to a story, a formal proposal, known as a “blue sheet,” is written up to be presented to 60 Minutes’ leadership team, including the executive producer.
Once an idea is greenlit, the producer prepares a detailed budget covering travel, crew size, accommodations, production days, and other logistical costs. Management may request budget alterations, but after approval, the production team is largely left alone to report the story, with the only requirement being that the finished piece airs during the current television season.
Upon completion of filming, the senior editor at 60 Minutes assigns an editor to the project, who then begins putting the story together; this process usually takes two to three weeks. During this period, the interviews are also sent for transcription.
The correspondent and the producer will work in tandem to write the script and are actively involved in the editing process, which starts with a “radio cut” and is whittled down to the appropriate runtime of a 60 Minutes segment, which is approximately 12 to 13 minutes.
Next comes CBS News’ formal screenings
Once the piece is completed, the next phase is the most stressful moment of the entire process: the first formal screening.
