Veteran journalist Steve Kroft said he "hated" working on CBS' "60 Minutes," saying the newsroom operated like "a snake pit."
Kroft, 80, made the remarks during a Thursday appearance on Bill O'Reilly's "We'll Do It Live!" podcast, where he reflected on his 30-year tenure with the outlet.
Asked whether he would choose the role again, Kroft responded, "No, I probably wouldn't do it again. I hated it."
The longtime correspondent said tensions within the newsroom became apparent after he joined the show in 1989.
While he initially viewed the opportunity as "fantastic," he later realized "not everybody was happy that I got" the position.
"There were other people that wanted, so then you've all of a sudden made a bunch of enemies," he said, pointing to competition among colleagues.
Kroft also cited the demanding nature of the job, describing it as "24 hours a day."
The role involved frequent travel, script writing, screenings, and continuous production cycles. Despite those pressures, he acknowledged the appeal of the work itself.
"It was exhilarating. ... The reason I loved the job was because of the stories that I could do and the fact that they liked good stories," he said.
When asked whether he became reliant on the intensity of the work, he replied that he "probably" did, adding, "You get excited about the fact that you're still alive."
Before joining "60 Minutes," Kroft worked in other roles at CBS, including as a correspondent in London.
He said that assignment remained his preferred position.
"Look, the best job I ever had at CBS was when I was correspondent at the London bureau and got to see the world. That was the job I always wanted," he said, contrasting it with his later experience on the flagship show.
He said he wasn't as well known as others on the show when he started.
"I was kind of at a disadvantage. I was the first person on that show who had not been an anchorman, wasn't really well known," he said, adding that he had to continue proving himself.
Over three decades, Kroft conducted several notable interviews, including a 1992 conversation with then-Gov. Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, a 2008 interview with Barack and Michelle Obama, and the Obamas' final interview with them in the White House in January 2017.
Kroft also conducted the only TV interview with Woody Allen during Allen's custody battle with Mia Farrow.
Kroft retired in May 2019 at the end of his 30th season.
The show itself now faces potential changes.
According to a report by the New York Post, newly appointed CBS News Editor in Chief Bari Weiss is planning a major overhaul following the current season.
The reported shift follows the Paramount-Skydance merger, and the anticipated changes have reportedly unsettled staff, with reports of internal clashes over editorial decisions, planned layoffs, and uncertainty surrounding top talent.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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