CBS News veterans urge Paramount CEO to ‘uphold editorial independence’ at 60 Minutes

Several dozen veterans of CBS News – including many former 60 Minutes employees – signed a letter to the Paramount Skydance CEO, David Ellison, on Monday, pressing him to commit to the show’s editorial independence four days after network management fired several top staffers and correspondents.

On Thursday, the CBS News editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, and president, Tom Cibrowski, ousted the show’s executive producer, executive editor and two prominent correspondents, Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega. Both Alfonsi and Vega released blistering statements alleging that the show’s editorial independence had been compromised for political purposes.

“We, the undersigned, urge you and your management team at CBS News to uphold the principle of editorial independence that has made 60 Minutes – in the words of the show’s new executive producer – ‘the most important television journalism brand this country has ever produced,’” the letter stated, referring to the New York Times veteran – and broadcast novice – installed to lead the show, Nick Bilton.

“Institutional trust is not transferred through ownership. 60 Minutes prospered and had impact because it operated under an implicit and sacred obligation to the public,” the letter said.

“Modernizing the show for new audiences and new delivery approaches is important – but not at the cost of editorial integrity. The wholesale dismissal of editorial management, without a public pledge to maintain the values, standards, and traditions of this program, puts the legacy of 60 Minutes in jeopardy.”

The signatories encouraged Ellison to “send a clear message to your staff, your viewers, and the broader public that you respect and value editorial independence and press freedom”.

Among the letter’s organizers was the legendary former 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman, who produced the show’s groundbreaking investigation of the tobacco industry in the 1990s.

Signers also included the former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather, documentary director Alex Gibney and actor Glenn Close, as well as many veterans of CBS and other networks.

Earlier on Monday, the veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley – who was not affected by Thursday’s cuts – issued a strong rebuke of the network’s decision-making. Pelley accused Weiss of “murdering” the show.