Lesley Stahl speaks onstage during the Truth Seekers Summit hosted by Variety and Rolling Stone at Second Floor on Aug. 25, 2022, in New York City.
The show’s parent network, CBS News, has undergone drastic changes under the new leadership of editor-in-chief Bari Weiss — and “60 Minutes” has been no exception to the general overhaul as Weiss tries to make the network more centrist.
(Both CBS News and “60 Minutes” had long been accused of veering to the far left.)
Among a litany of smaller changes, the biggest changes that Weiss has been making to “60 Minutes” have largely been with the staffing.
The most notable of that staffing change came when longtime “60 Minutes” journalist Scott Pelley was recently fired after he apparently exploded at the new show boss, who had been handpicked by Weiss.
That marked the biggest name to become a casualty of Weiss’ restructuring, which naturally led to questions about what would be in store for some of the show’s other longtime faces: Bill Whitaker, Lesley Stahl, and Jon Wertheim.
Whitaker, Stahl, and Wertheim answered those questions, releasing a joint statement about what their futures on the show would be:“We have had a hard time deciding whether to stay at 60 Minutes,” the group wrote.
The statement then rattled off a list of grievances, including a number of staff firings, who they felt were cast aside “shabbily.”
Whitaker, Stahl, and Wertheim also appeared to directly criticize Weiss’ management style.
Related:
'60 Minutes' Staffers Should 'Shut up' and 'Quit Crying' About the Show Being Gutted, Says Mediaite Chief
“Newsrooms are not supposed to be run like dictatorships,” they wrote. “Collaboration and argument are the way we have always worked.”
The trio called the entire situation “heartbreaking.”
“But, we have decided to stay on,” the group ultimately revealed. “We feared that our returning might be construed as an endorsement of the existing power structure. That is simply, categorically not the case.
“Here’s why we’re are [sic] staying: We don’t want to see 60 Minutes die.”
The group of “60 Minutes” veterans then addressed the apparent smoothing over from upper management that was attempted in the wake of Pelley’s firing — before offering an ultimatum about their continued presence.
“We heard all the right things in yesterday’s ‘independence’ memo,” the group wrote. “It went a long way, and now we need to see these commitments to our process and procedures put into action.”
“If we can continue doing the work that made this what it is — committing acts of independent, fearless journalism and storytelling — we’re here for it.”
“If not, we leave.”
'60 Minutes' Staffers Should 'Shut up' and 'Quit Crying' About the Show Being Gutted, Says Mediaite Chief
“Newsrooms are not supposed to be run like dictatorships,” they wrote. “Collaboration and argument are the way we have always worked.”
The trio called the entire situation “heartbreaking.”
“But, we have decided to stay on,” the group ultimately revealed. “We feared that our returning might be construed as an endorsement of the existing power structure. That is simply, categorically not the case.
“Here’s why we’re are [sic] staying: We don’t want to see 60 Minutes die.”
The group of “60 Minutes” veterans then addressed the apparent smoothing over from upper management that was attempted in the wake of Pelley’s firing — before offering an ultimatum about their continued presence.
“We heard all the right things in yesterday’s ‘independence’ memo,” the group wrote. “It went a long way, and now we need to see these commitments to our process and procedures put into action.”
“If we can continue doing the work that made this what it is — committing acts of independent, fearless journalism and storytelling — we’re here for it.”
“If not, we leave.”
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