Famed journalist Anderson Cooper announced this week he is leaving CBS News’ 60 Minutes after nearly two decades.
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“For nearly twenty years, I’ve been able to balance my jobs at CNN and CBS,” Cooper shared in a statement. “But I have little kids now, and I want to spend as much time with them as possible, while they still want to spend time.”
In a separate statement, CBS thanked Cooper for his years of service to the network.
“For more than two decades, Anderson Cooper has taken 60 Minutes viewers on journeys to faraway places,” the statement reads. “Told us unforgettable stories, reported consequential investigations, and interviewed many prominent figures.”
The network then stated, “We’re grateful to him for dedicating so much of his life to this broadcast, and understand the importance of spending more time with family. 60 Minutes will be here if he ever wants to return.”
According to his CBS News bio, Cooper has been a 60 Minutes correspondent and anchor of Anderson Cooper 360 through an agreement between CNN and CBS News since the 2006-2007 season.
Anderson Cooper’s Departure from CBS News Just Months After Lisa Ling’s Firing
The Anderson Cooper departure announcement comes just a couple of months after Lisa Ling was dismissed from CBS News.
The former correspondent revealed in late October that she was among those fired after CBS’s parent company, Paramount Skydance, cut approximately 1,000 jobs.
“Now this didn’t entirely surprise me,” Ling said about her firing. “Because I wasn’t a full-time employee, but rather a contributor, and we’re easy to cut. My heart, though, goes out to all of those who had been working at the network for many, many years.”
Ling then stated, “I worked with some wonderful people at CBS, and I was so proud of the multi-part series I was able to do on caregiving, psychedelic healing, and the state of spirituality, among so many other segments, things so relevant to so many of us now.”
“All of the series had this thread of healing running through them,” she added. “And I wanted to let you know that I am developing a platform that will go into even greater depth on a whole range of issues related to intergenerational strength and healing.”
Ling was hired by CBS News in 2023 and was a contributor to CBS News programs, including CBS News Sunday Morning. She was previously the host of The View and This Is Life With Lisa Ling.