Poynter is reporting that "60 Minutes" correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi is departing the program, claiming her contract was not renewed as retaliation for questioning newsroom leadership. Alfonsi stated her contract expired last weekend and that attempts by her agent to contact CBS News were met with silence. The Los Angeles Times reported the move created a public relations issue under CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss and tarnished the show's journalistic reputation. Alfonsi told The New York Times that her departure sends a "chilling message to the entire newsroom" and was a "deliberate choice to penalize a journalist for refusing to sanitize accurate reporting." She added that the wall between editorial independence and corporate interest at CBS is being "methodically torn down." This news follows the recent departure of longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent Anderson Cooper, who emphasized the importance of the show's independence and quality.
In other CBS News developments, Poynter noted that the "CBS Evening News," led by Tony Dokoupil, surpassed 4 million viewers for the week ending May 22, a first in several weeks. Variety reported that while this shows signs of life, the newscast remains a distant third behind "ABC's World News Tonight" and "NBC Nightly News."
ABC's "The View" co-host Joy Behar is taking a short hiatus from the show to perform her stage play in Europe. Her absence comes as "The View" faces scrutiny from the Trump administration and an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission regarding a potential violation of the equal-time rule. The New York Times reported that FCC chair Brendan Carr offered a new interpretation of the rule, suggesting many talk shows might not qualify for exemption.
Poynter colleague Angela Fu is reporting that Condé Nast reached a settlement worth more than $400,000 with three union members who were fired last November for protesting layoffs. The New York Guild announced the agreement, which converts the discharges to resignations and provides back pay for five suspended employees. The Wrap reported the workers confronted the head of human resources after Teen Vogue staffers were laid off. Former Wired senior writer Jake Lahut, a fourth fired worker, rejected Condé Nast's offer, stating he looks forward to his day in court.
"CBS News Sunday Morning" is scheduled to air an interview this weekend where former first lady Dr. Jill Biden said she feared her husband, former President Joe Biden, might have been having a stroke during his June 2024 presidential debate with Donald Trump. She stated she had never seen him like that before or since, and his performance led to him dropping out of the race.
The Sports Emmys were announced Tuesday night, with NBC's Mike Tirico winning his first Emmy for Best Play-by-Play announcer. Ernie Johnson won for Best Studio Host. Other notable winners included Fox Sports' Alex Rodriguez (studio analyst) and Greg Olsen (game analyst), ESPN's "College GameDay" (best weekly studio show), ESPN's "NFL Live" (best daily studio show), and NBC's "Sunday Night Football" (outstanding live sports series).
In media tidbits, Semafor reported that Paramount appears to be swaying DOJ staff on a Warner Bros. takeover, and NPR's newsroom is shrinking through buyouts and layoffs. President Donald Trump told reporters he plans to attend an upcoming NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden, which would make him the first sitting president to do so. Corbin Bolies announced he is leaving TheWrap to join Variety as a media reporter covering the intersection of artificial intelligence and entertainment.