In what has been a tumultuous two weeks for 60 Minutes following a spree of firings, the future of the show’s remaining correspondents, including Lesley Stahl, remains in question.
According to the New York Post, citing CBS News insiders, Stahl may have decided to stick with 60 Minutes despite the ongoing behind-the-scenes drama. The veteran reporter, whose contract has expired, was said to be out shooting footage for the show’s next season.
“Lesley was shooting a segment for next season,” the source claimed. “She must be staying at the company.”
Last week, CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss announced that the show’s executive producer, Tanya Simon, would be replaced by tech journalist and filmmaker Nick Bilton. In addition, exec producer Draggan Mihailovich and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi were fired.
Longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley spoke out against the changes and Weiss’ handling of CBS News during a heated staff meeting on Monday (June 1), during which he said Weiss was “murdering” 60 Minutes and told Bilton he had “slender qualifications” for the job. On Tuesday (June 2), Bilton sent a termination letter to Pelley, noting that he’d been fired “for cause, effective immediately.”
“Lesley Stahl didn’t even wait for the bodies of Tanya Simon and Draggan Mihailovich to get cold before she went out shooting,” another source told the Post.
According to Oliver Darcy’s Status newsletter, Stahl, alongside fellow 60 Minutes correspondents Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim, held an hour-long meeting on Wednesday (June 3) to discuss their futures at the program. The outlet reported that Whitaker is considering his options and could choose to leave the show.
On Thursday (June 4), Bilton emailed staff reaffirming his commitment to the show’s editorial independence and praising Stahl, Whitaker, and Wertheim for their work.
“Lesley, Bill, and Jon are core to this show’s success,” he wrote in the memo. “They have sat across from the most powerful people in the world and refused to blink. Audiences trust them because they have provided it, story by story, for decades. Working with them is a privilege and every journalist’s dream.”
He concluded, “Over the past few days, I have thanked each of you for your work, and I will say it again here: Thank you. It’s been a hell of a first week. Let’s get to work. Until then, Nick.”
60 Minutes, Sundays, 7/6c, CBS
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