Anderson Cooper steps away from ‘60 Minutes' after two decades

Anderson Cooper is closing a defining chapter in broadcast journalism.

After nearly 20 years as a correspondent on CBS’s 60 Minutes, the veteran anchor has confirmed he will not renew his contract.

He cited family priorities as the reason behind the move.

Cooper had joined 60 Minutes in 2006-2007 television season through a rare job sharing arrangement with CNN.

He became known for pairing frontline reporting with intimate interviews.

His tenure spanned wars, natural disasters, political upheavals and deeply personal human narratives.

In farewell remarks reported by CBS, Cooper reflected on the privilege of earning trust in moments when “it felt like the cameras were no longer there.”

He emphasized that the decision was driven by his desire to spend more time with his young sons, Wyatt and Sebastian, while they “still want to spend time with” him.

The departure came amid sweeping leadership changes at CBS News, now under Paramount Skydance and editor in chief Bari Weiss.

The network praised Cooper’s contributions and left the door open for a future return.

Throughout his run, Cooper balanced investigative depth with compassion, helping sustain 60 Minutes as a benchmark of journalism in a shifting media landscape.