The three remaining correspondents at CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes will remain with the show for its next season.
In a memo to the show’s staff, Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim said that, while they had a hard time deciding whether to stay at 60 Minutes after the ouster of top producers and correspondents like Tanya Simon, Scott Pelley, Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi, they have opted to stay with the show.
“We feared that our returning might be construed as an endorsement of the existing power structure. That is simply, categorically not the case,” they wrote. “Here’s why we’re are staying: We don’t want to see 60 Minutes die.”
Read their memo, below:
TO All our colleagues at 60
FROM Lesley, Bill and Jon
We have had a hard time deciding whether to stay at 60 Minutes. We’re still deeply upset by the firings of Tanya and Draggan, strong leaders who everyone respected. As far as we can tell – because no explanation has ever been offered, they were expelled because they fought for our 60 Minutes values and stood up to protect our independence and integrity.
Newsrooms are not supposed to be run like dictatorships. Collaboration and argument are the way we have always worked at 60. Don Hewitt actually encouraged loud passionate advocacy for our pieces.
This goes for Sharyn, Cecilia and Scott as well, all at the top of the world of TV journalism who exemplified 60 Minutes’ ethos of tough questions and honest storytelling.
And Guy Campanile, an outstanding 60 Minutes producer whose advice on our stories was invaluable.
And Matt Polevoy, who ran our online operations, moved us onto YouTube, was working on developing 60 Minutes Podcasts and many other projects expanding our presence on the Web: vital and necessary for our future.
We want to express how sorry we are that these principled, fair and honest journalists were treated so shabbily, with such indecency. Tanya deserves to be celebrated, not cruelly cast off. Draggan too. It’s been heartbreaking.
But, we have decided to stay on.
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 staying: We don’t want to see 60 Minutes die.
We have been grieving because this whole mess has wounded and damaged the broadcast. We want to stay and fight, try to repair and preserve our reputation by continuing the Mike Wallace tradition of hold their feet to the fire as well as Morley’s brand of quirky off-kilter reports like his on why people in Finland like to tango!
It’s early days, but we are working to build trust with Nick, and we are heartened by Maria’s promotion. We heard all the right things in yesterday’s “independence” memo. 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 show what it is – committing acts of independent, fearless journalism and storytelling – we’re here for it.
If not, we leave.
For now we’re staying – for our audience, the millions who watch us with a loyal but critical eye. We’re staying for our teams, and all the teams. We work for you guys. The thought of abandoning you became unbearable. And of course we’re staying because this is home.
Here’s to season 59!
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