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** OPINION
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** What can we expect from the season premier of '60 Minutes?'
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Norah O’Donnell interviews the Air Force officer whose plane was shot down over Iran earlier this year for a segment on this Sunday’s ‘60 Minutes.’ (Photo: courtesy of ‘60 Minutes.’)

We’re learning more about the season premier of ‘60 Minutes,’ which will air this upcoming Sunday.

As I mentioned in Tuesday’s newsletter ([link removed]) , one of the segments in the season opener will be a Jon Wertheim feature on the Super Bowl-favorite Los Angeles Rams.

Then Tuesday, '60 Minutes' announced another feature for Sunday’s program. Norah O’Donnell will interview the weapon systems officer who spent two days alone, injured and vulnerable to capture, after his plane was struck down in Iran last April.

CBS News said in its announcement, “In his first public account of what happened, the colonel describes surviving a harrowing ejection, how he evaded Iranian forces, and what he said to his rescuers when they arrived.”

CBS also said that O’Donnell spoke with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and head of U.S. Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper. They tell the story of the 50-hour search and rescue operation that concluded on Easter Sunday.

(Here’s a preview ([link removed]) of the segment.)

As I mentioned Tuesday, all eyes are on the season premier of '60 Minutes' following a tumultuous summer that saw three veteran correspondents fired, one leave on his own and a few new correspondents hired, including Ross Douthat, a conservative New York Times opinion writer with no experience as a TV journalist. Amid the changes are accusations from former correspondents that CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss attempted to inject political bias or falsehoods into their reporting last season.

Perhaps the biggest change of all is that Weiss fired veteran '60 Minutes' executive producer, Tanya Simon, and replaced her with someone who has virtually no TV news experience.

That new executive producer, Nick Bilton, spoke with The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin ([link removed]) about the upcoming season, which will be the show’s 59th.

Bilton told Mullin, “Over the summer, we’ve made changes to every aspect of the broadcast to make it stronger. While each of those changes represents a slight departure from the way it’s been done in the past, it will make for a new approach to ‘60 Minutes’ in its totality.”

Some would argue the show doesn’t need any changes. Last year’s ratings were strong, and the journalism is as good as it has ever been. Yet, the show has been overhauled by Weiss and Bilton, leading critics to wonder why? Is it to tinker with the editorial stance of a show that has always been the gold standard of journalism?

The way Bilton sees it, the moves help '60 Minutes' stay relevant in a media world bombarded with new technologies and changing audiences.

Mullin wrote, “This summer, Mr. Bilton sat the camera operators down and told them to avoid ‘walk and talks’ — run-of-the-mill TV shots featuring a correspondent and the subject. He has done away with the fuzzy shadow under the ‘60 Minutes’ logo, and replaced the giant ‘book’ graphics that appear behind correspondents before each new segment with streamlined rectangular screens. Also in the works is a story using footage from a hidden camera, a throwback to stories from the famed ‘60 Minutes’ correspondent Mike Wallace, who used them to expose fraudsters.”

Bilton also told Mullin that later this season, the program will launch a new end-of-show feature, but he wouldn’t say what it was. Some reports state that '60 Minutes' might revive the end-of-show commentary made famous by the late Andy Rooney.

As far as kicking off the new season, Bilton told Mullin, “The stress is like a snow globe that has settled, and I can see exactly what we have to do. I‘ve never felt more that I’m in the right place doing the right job than I do right now.”

As far what comes after Sunday’s program, Variety’s Brian Steinberg wrote ([link removed]) , “Bilton has approved more than three dozen stories, according to a person familiar with the matter, with each in various stages of production, which include research, shooting, writing and more. This person says more than a dozen stories are in the editing process, either being screened or being prepared for screening. Bilton wants to continue and augment the show’s tradition of investigative reporting, this person says, and also sees an opportunity for ‘60’ to weigh in heavily on the effects of AI on the world and all facets of society, much in the way ‘60 Minutes’ featured coverage of the Vietnam War or the tobacco industry in decades past. More decisions tied to senior leadership are expected to be unveiled in days to come.”


** Toledo Blade to close if buyer cannot be found
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For this item, I turn it over to my Poynter colleague, Angela Fu.

The Toledo Blade reported ([link removed]) Tuesday that its parent company — Block Communications — will close the paper at the end of the year if it cannot sell the paper before then.

Block Communications president and chief operating officer Jodi Miehls informed staff of the news in email, stating that continued "financial losses" meant the company could no longer support the paper. Earlier this year, Block cited similar reasons for closing ([link removed]) the nearly 240-year-old Pittsburgh Post Gazette. (The Gazette was saved three weeks before its planned closure in May when the nonprofit behind The Baltimore Banner bought the paper ([link removed]) .)

“The Block Family’s continued investment to keep the Blade open is no longer an option. The financial losses the Blade has endured for years are simply not sustainable,” Miehls wrote in the email. “Block Communications has decided to begin exploring the possible sale of the Blade’s assets. Should those efforts fail, The Blade will publish its final edition on Thursday, December 31st, 2026.”

The 190-year-old paper is the oldest continually operating business in Toledo, Ohio, according to the Blade’s report of the announcement. It serves as the city’s largest daily, and has a staff of 119.

The union representing newsroom employees at the Blade noted that the closure announcement came just days after the union rejected several contract proposals by the company.

“It’s disappointing that Block Communications would rather shutter the paper than work toward an equitable contract,” Blade features writer and union bargaining chair Lillian King said in a press release. “The Company’s proposal would have axed seniority, halved severance for its most experienced employees, and allowed the outsourcing of all Guild work. All content at The Blade could be created or edited with Al, with no protections for journalists or requirements to disclose Al usage to its readers.”


** MS NOW’s big day
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Today is the day that MS NOW will roll out its inaugural Membership, the organization’s first direct-to-consumer product. MS NOW Membership will cost $7.99 a month or $79.99 year before taxes and fees. An introductory offer in effect through Sept. 30 will make annual subscriptions $39.99.

MS NOW Membership will be available for purchase in the App Store, on Google Play, and online at ms.now, with more platforms and devices coming soon.

As a part of that membership, the network is introducing a twice-daily lineup of live interactive Q&As with anchors and reporters on ms.now and in the MS NOW app.

The daily Q&A’s will be at noon Eastern and 6 p.m. Eastern.

In their official announcement, MS NOW said, “Each day, Members can submit questions ahead of each session or ask them live through the comments as anchors join from their home offices, living rooms, and behind-the-scenes spaces. Plus, on Mondays and Tuesdays, Rachel Maddow and Joe Scarborough will also welcome some Members into the conversation over live video, giving audiences the opportunity to speak directly with the hosts.”

At 6 p.m., there will be a live conversation featuring the reporters covering the day's biggest stories from Washington and communities across the country and around the world.

MS NOW president Rebecca Kutler said in a statement, “For decades, audiences have invited us into their homes every day. (Today), we're inviting them into the conversation. Not just for a one-off occasion. Instead, at the same place and at the same time with the same trusted voices, every day of the week. We have always understood that MS NOW audiences want more than just headlines. They have follow-up questions. They want to understand not only what's happening, but why it matters. These daily conversations are designed to deepen that relationship and make our journalism even more accessible.”

A MESSAGE FROM POYNTER


** How to navigate ethical dilemmas in political reporting
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How can journalists cover partisan politics without appearing partisan themselves? What can they say on personal social media? To answer these questions and more, join Kelly McBride, Poynter senior vice president and chair of the Newmark Ethics Center, for an exclusive members-only webinar on Wednesday, Sept. 30. You’ll gain practical tools and a decision-making process to help you work through ethical dilemmas on the job.

Become a Poynter member ([link removed])


** Dubious claims
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President Donald Trump, speaking at an event in Washington on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump gave a speech Tuesday honoring emergency personnel who died 25 years ago during the attacks on 9/11. And, once again, he told a story that doesn’t line up with reality.

The New York Times’ Katie Rogers wrote Tuesday ([link removed]) , “President Trump on Tuesday claimed that two firefighters lifted him up and carried him away from a seemingly unstable building when he visited the area shortly after the terrorist attacks. This was the latest in Mr. Trump’s evolving — and often disputed — account of his actions on Sept. 11 and in its aftermath, when he was working as a real estate developer in New York City.”

Rogers also added, “Mr. Trump was watching television the morning of the attacks, which is verifiable from news coverage of that day, but what he did next has long been a matter of debate. He has repeatedly said that he took a construction crew with him to Lower Manhattan and was deeply involved in cleaning up the site, a claim that has been called into question by at least one former fire official who was involved in the recovery effort.”

This is not the first time Trump has made claims about his actions and whereabouts following the attacks at the World Trade Center.

In 2023, Sara Swann of Poynter’s PolitiFact wrote ([link removed]) , “Over the years, Trump has made several claims that echo (conservative activist Benny) Johnson’s claim (that Trump helped in rescue and recovery efforts). Trump has said he spent ‘a lot of time’ with first responders and helped clear the rubble. He has never provided evidence to support these claims.”

Swann added at the time, “News accounts in the days following the attacks put Trump near ground zero, but there’s no record of him helping first responders at the site directly. On the day of the attacks, Trump called into WWOR-TV, a station serving New York City, and described what he saw from his office in Trump Tower, which was about 4 miles from the World Trade Center.”

In 2020, USA Today’s Matthew Brown wrote ([link removed]) , “There is no evidence that Trump helped with efforts at Ground Zero. Emergency responders who coordinated response efforts have cast doubt on the president’s claims.”

And in 2024, Newsweek factchecker Tom Norton wrote ([link removed]) , “While Trump did visit Ground Zero in the days after the attack, analysis of his comments then and from reports at the site have not led to any evidence that he helped with the recovery.”

On Tuesday, CNN fact checker Daniel Dale tweeted ([link removed]) , “President Trump was not in the vicinity of the World Trade Center when it was hit. He was in Trump Tower, miles away from the towers and nearby One Liberty Plaza, which is/was also known as the US Steel building. There was public concern in the days following the attack that One Liberty Plaza might collapse, but the authorities repeatedly said it was structurally sound, and there's not currently any public evidence Trump went into it amid these collapse worries (?), much less that he was rushed out by firefighters.”

Dale added, “In varying language, he has repeatedly claimed for years he was at Ground Zero with a large crew of his workers helping with the recovery in the days after 9/11, but people who were definitely on site have said they never saw him or a Trump-organized crew on site and that it wouldn't make sense for them to have had access; there are pictures and videos of Trump in the neighborhood in the following days, in a clean suit, but not on the actual site.”

Videos of Trump’s comments on Tuesday were all over social media, with many pointing out that Trump’s claims are unproven.

MeidasTouch editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski tweeted ([link removed]) , “This entire story is complete fiction. Stolen Valor Trump.”

Author Bill Carter, the former New York Times TV and media reporter, tweeted ([link removed]) , “Who screams more about ‘stolen valor’ than MAGA crowd? This is an egregious example. He’s lying about he and his crew going down to help? Lying to tenth power about being carried by a fireman? Come on, man. It’s latest manifestation of his diseased psyche. Even 9/11 has to be about him.”


** Media tidbits
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* Former longtime Associated Press media writer David Bauder returns to his old stomping grounds for this must-read story: “Across US history, the AP has watched, chronicled and helped people understand a complex world.” ([link removed])
* Carlos Greer of The New York Post’s Page Six reported ([link removed]) that the upcoming season of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show on ABC will be its last, with an unnamed source saying Kimmel’s contract is not being renewed. However, an ABC spokesperson told the Post, “(This) information is inaccurate — any reports about the future of the show at this point are purely speculative .”
* Futurism’s Maggie Harrison Dupré with “Journalist Accuses Ohio’s Main Newspaper of Slapping Her Name on an AI ‘Express Desk’ Article Without Her Knowledge, While She Was on Honeymoon.” ([link removed])
* The New York Times’ Callie Holtermann and Jessica Testa with “A Print Magazine for Teens? In This Economy?” ([link removed])
* The Columbia Journalism Review’s Carolina Abbott Galvão with “What Happened in Lancaster? The saga of a public radio station, a regional newspaper, the Pennsylvania family that funded them, and an NPR host turned nonprofit executive.” ([link removed])
* The Washington Post’s Scott Nover with “A CNN journalist spent years reporting on al-Qaeda. Now he’s handing over a massive archive.” ([link removed])
* Nieman Lab’s Sophie Culpepper with “At three years old, Deep South Today threads the needle between ‘lean and mean’ and ‘aggressive expansion.’” ([link removed])


** Hot type
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NPR’s Mandalit del Barco with “60 years later, ‘Star Trek’ continues to ‘live long and prosper.’” ([link removed])

And here’s The Los Angeles Times’ Tracy Brown and Jevon Phillips with “‘Star Trek’ is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Why its optimistic vision of the future endures.” ([link removed])


** More resources for journalists
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* Build a strong foundation for managing people in our five-day Essential Skills for New Managers, March 1–5, 2027, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Designed for managers with up to three years of experience, the program covers delegation, feedback, difficult conversations, managing up and leading former peers. Apply by Dec. 7. ([link removed])
* Strengthen your investigative reporting with Will Work for Impact: Fundamentals of Investigative Journalism from Oct. 2-Nov. 3, 2026. Enroll now. ([link removed])
* Join a free Poynter webinar on Covering Immigration with Care on Oct. 21 that gives practical guidance on trauma-informed interviewing, ethical storytelling and reporting beyond crisis-driven narratives. Enroll now. ([link removed])

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .
The Poynter Report is your daily dive into the world of media, packed with the latest news and insights. Get it delivered to your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here ([link removed]) . And don’t forget to tune into our biweekly podcast ([link removed]) for even more
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