Bill Owens, the executive producer of CBS News’ 60 Minutes and only the third person to hold that role in the program’s 57-year history, announced his resignation Tuesday, citing a loss of journalistic independence.
His departure comes amid intense pressure from President Donald Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit against CBS over a 2024 Kamala Harris interview and reported interference from Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, as it navigates a pending merger with Skydance Media.
Owens’s exit has sparked significant concern about press freedom, resonating with broader media challenges discussed in prior queries, such as Trump’s attacks on media and the passing of radio personalities like Angela Bellios and Cadillac Jack.
Owens informed 60 Minutes staff via a memo that he was stepping down, stating, “Over the past months, it has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it, to make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience.”
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| Bill Owens |
Owens cited Loss of Independence: He expressed frustration that corporate pressures from Paramount Global, particularly around settling Trump’s lawsuit, compromised his ability to make editorial decisions in the best interest of 60 Minutes and its audience.
Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit, filed in November 2024 and escalated in February 2025, accused 60 Minutes of “voter interference” through deceptive editing of Harris’s interview. Owens resisted settlement talks, refusing to apologize for the segment, which he maintained was “perfectly fine.”
Owens was praised for his integrity and commitment to truth, with CBS News president Wendy McMahon noting his “unwavering integrity, curiosity, and deep commitment to the truth” in a memo. He fostered solidarity among correspondents like Scott Pelley, Lesley Stahl, Anderson Cooper, and Bill Whitaker, who rallied around him during staff meetings addressing the Trump lawsuit.
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