Lesley Stahl and Colleagues Choose to Remain with ’60 Minutes’

Lesley Stahl, along with fellow ’60 Minutes’ correspondents Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim, announced their decision to remain with the CBS News program. This decision comes after a period of uncertainty and speculation about the future of the show.

In a statement to the show’s staff, the correspondents expressed their commitment to ‘stay and fight’ to maintain the integrity and reputation of the nation’s leading news program. They emphasized their desire to prevent ’60 Minutes’ from losing its standing in journalism.

The trio also shared their frustration over the dismissal of Tanya Simon, the show’s executive producer, and other key staff members. They described these departures as ‘heartbreaking’ and issued a warning that they would leave if the program’s editorial independence was compromised.

The recent changes initiated by Bari Weiss, the CBS News editor in chief, have caused significant disruption within the organization. Weiss’s decision to install Nick Bilton, a tech journalist with no broadcast news background, as the new leader of ’60 Minutes’ has particularly stirred the newsroom.

In a tense meeting, veteran correspondent Scott Pelley criticized Bilton’s appointment and accused Weiss of ‘murdering’ the show. Pelley was subsequently dismissed.

To retain Ms. Stahl, Mr. Whitaker, and Mr. Wertheim, Bilton offered reassurances about maintaining the program’s journalistic standards. He also promised that ’60 Minutes’ would retain its editorial independence, despite its affiliation with a tech company led by David Ellison, who endorsed Weiss.

CBS News has not responded to inquiries for comment. During an interview with The New York Times, Stahl detailed the efforts she and her colleagues made, coordinating discussions across different time zones, including Wertheim’s involvement from Paris, where he is covering the French Open.