The New Era Of 60 Minutes: 7 Shocking Segments And Controversies Defining The 2025 Season

The venerable newsmagazine, 60 Minutes, is navigating one of the most transformative periods in its history, even as it maintains its decades-long reign as America's number one television news program. As of this writing on December 12, 2025, the show is deep into its 58th season, a testament to the enduring power of hard-hitting investigative journalism and in-depth profiles. This new era is marked by a significant shift in leadership, a fresh round of high-stakes political interviews, and a renewed focus on complex global issues, all while the program continues to grapple with the fallout from recent high-profile controversies regarding its editing and political coverage.

The program’s stability is being closely watched by the entire industry, especially following the appointment of a new Executive Producer and a series of segments that have sparked intense public debate. With a core team of legendary correspondents and an unparalleled legacy established by founder Don Hewitt, 60 Minutes remains the gold standard, but its methods and editorial choices are now under more scrutiny than ever before.

A New Executive Producer and the Shifting Power Structure at CBS News

The most consequential change defining the current season is the leadership transition. In a move that signaled a return to internal stability and institutional knowledge, Tanya Simon was named the new Executive Producer of 60 Minutes, succeeding Bill Owens. Simon, a highly respected, award-winning journalist, has deep roots within the program, having previously served as a senior producer. Her appointment was widely supported by the show’s veteran correspondents, including Lesley Stahl and Scott Pelley, who saw her as the ideal candidate to guide the program through a challenging period.

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Simon's challenge is two-fold: preserving the show's foundational commitment to rigorous, fact-driven investigative reports while simultaneously modernizing its approach to content distribution and political coverage in a hyper-partisan media landscape. The transition comes amid a backdrop of lingering tension following a high-profile legal settlement involving a previous interview with former President Donald Trump, an event that placed the program's editorial independence and editing practices under a microscope.

The Core Team and New Faces

The strength of the program continues to rest on its roster of full-time correspondents. Lesley Stahl, Scott Pelley, and Bill Whitaker remain the pillars of the broadcast, each bringing decades of experience to their respective segments. Their presence ensures a continuity of the serious, measured tone the newsmagazine is known for.

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In a related move bolstering CBS News's investigative capacity, veteran broadcast journalist Matt Gutman joined the network as Chief Correspondent earlier in 2025. While not strictly a 60 Minutes correspondent, such high-caliber additions to the news division signal a renewed investment in the type of exclusive, global reporting that frequently feeds into the newsmagazine's Sunday night slot. Other key figures behind the scenes, such as Senior Producers Nicole Young and Matthew Polevoy, continue to shape the distinct look and feel of the broadcast.

The 7 Most Explosive and Talked-About Segments of the 2025 Season

The 58th season has already delivered several segments that have dominated the news cycle, demonstrating the show's unique ability to generate national conversation. These reports highlight the program's balance between political interviews, cutting-edge science, and deep-dive historical features.

1. The Marjorie Taylor Greene Interview

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One of the most polarizing segments of the 2025 season was the in-depth profile and interview with Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). The decision to feature the controversial political figure sparked immediate backlash from critics who argued the platform legitimized her more extreme views. Conversely, supporters hailed the segment as an example of necessary, non-partisan reporting on a major newsmaker. The interview itself was scrutinized for its tone and editing, with the controversy echoing past criticisms that the program was "worse" under current ownership, a sentiment expressed by Donald Trump himself following the broadcast.

2. The AI Chatbot Crisis Warning

In a segment focused on emerging technology and its societal impact, 60 Minutes aired an alarming report on the potential harm of AI Chatbots on children. This investigative piece featured leading researchers and child psychologists who presented evidence that poorly regulated artificial intelligence could negatively affect the cognitive and emotional development of younger users. The report served as a major public service announcement, driving a national conversation about the ethics and safeguards required for consumer-facing AI products, including the popular Character AI platform.

3. The Sinking of the Cap Arcona

Maintaining its tradition of deep-dive historical reports, the program aired a compelling feature on the sinking of the Cap Arcona. This segment explored the tragic event where thousands of concentration camp prisoners perished just before the end of World War II. Such historical pieces, often reported by veterans like Scott Pelley or Lesley Stahl, are a hallmark of the newsmagazine, providing essential context to global events that continue to resonate today. The detailed investigation into the Nazi-era disaster offered fresh perspectives and previously unexamined archival footage.

4. The Watch Valley Economy

A lighter, yet equally fascinating, segment took viewers to Switzerland's Watch Valley to explore the intricate world of handmade Swiss watches. The report delved into the economic and cultural significance of these luxury timepieces, explaining why they remain so prohibitively expensive. This feature segment provided a welcome counterpoint to the more serious political and investigative reports, showcasing the program's ability to profile unique craftsmanship and global niche economies.

5. The Lingering Trump Interview Fallout

Although not a new segment, the political and legal fallout from the controversial 2020 interview with Donald Trump continues to define the program's editorial environment. The settlement of a $16 million lawsuit was widely interpreted as a concession by CBS News, leading to internal anger and external criticism. This ongoing scrutiny has made every subsequent high-profile political interview, including the one with Marjorie Taylor Greene, an exercise in extreme caution for the producers, ensuring that the show’s reputation for fairness remains intact, even in the face of intense public pressure.

6. Global Climate Change Investigations

The 2025 season has continued to dedicate significant airtime to climate change and environmental investigative reports. These segments, often global in scope, have focused on the impact of extreme weather events, the politics of renewable energy, and the economic toll of inaction. This topical authority on environmental issues is a deliberate strategy to provide in-depth, long-form coverage that is often missing from daily news cycles. The segments often draw on the work of veteran producers like Shachar Bar-On and Heather Abbott.

7. The State of American Healthcare

As a staple of the newsmagazine's domestic coverage, several segments have been dedicated to the complex and often frustrating state of American healthcare. These investigative reports have tackled issues like prescription drug pricing, the collapse of rural hospitals, and the impact of the opioid crisis on local communities. These stories, often driven by the meticulous research of producers like Michael Baltierra and Richard Bonin, solidify the program's role as a watchdog for consumer and public interest.

The Enduring Legacy of Investigative Journalism

The renewal of 60 Minutes for its 58th season confirms its status as the most successful television broadcast in history. Despite the turbulence of the modern media landscape—from the rise of streaming services to the challenges of maintaining objectivity in a polarized world—the program’s formula remains remarkably effective: a commitment to hard-hitting investigative reports, exclusive newsmaker interviews, and compelling profiles.

Under the new leadership of Tanya Simon, the program is poised to continue its legacy while adapting to new realities. The incorporation of digital-first content, such as 60 Minutes Overtime, allows the show to provide extended interviews and behind-the-scenes insights, catering to a younger, digitally native audience. The ongoing challenge is to balance the need for sensational, headline-grabbing political content with the deeper, less-dramatic investigative journalism that was the foundation laid by Don Hewitt and later upheld by Jeff Fager and Bill Owens. By focusing on both the political lightning rods and the underreported global stories, 60 Minutes is ensuring its relevance for years to come, proving that the demand for quality, long-form news remains strong.