4 hours ago
Lesley Stahl is opening up astir her difficult determination to enactment connected arsenic a analogous for 60 Minutes.
“It’s conscionable been evidently nan hardest section of my career,” nan longtime broadcast reporter, who has logged 35 years pinch nan CBS News program, told Puck News successful a caller interview. “And it’s been a agelong career.”
She continued, “It’s been complete 50 years. This was by acold nan worst acquisition I’ve been progressive in, aliases moreover witnessed. I mean, firing 7 people, including nan full guidance squad complete here, positive reporters and producers…”
Following nan hiring of executive shaper Nick Bilton May 28, nan stalwart newsmagazine has seen a activity of dismissals — among them, correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, arsenic good arsenic executive editor Draggan Mihailovich. The tumult grew erstwhile seasoned Scott Pelley accused nan October-installed editor-in-chief Bari Weiss of “murdering” nan show, questioning her and Bilton’s qualifications, during an introductory gathering past Monday. A time later, nan 37-year seasoned of nan statement was besides fto go.
Stahl’s comments travel aft she, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim released a associated memo Friday regarding their determination to “stay and fight.” The 3 remaining full-time staffers wrote: “We feared that our returning mightiness beryllium construed arsenic an endorsement of nan existing powerfulness structure. That is simply categorically not nan case. Here’s why we are staying: We don’t want to see 60 Minutes die.”
“As acold arsenic we tin show — because nary mentation has ever been offered, they were expelled because they fought for our 60 Minutes values and stood up to protect our independency and integrity,” nan correspondents wrote. Pelley, Alfonsi and Vega person alleged that higher ups astatine nan web had interfered pinch their activity owed to governmental reasons.
Their memo came soon aft Bilton released his ain connection Thursday, promising that nan programme would clasp its independency from firm ownership.
Stahl is nan longest seasoned connected nan show, having joined 60 Minutes in 1991; meantime Whitaker began his tenure successful 2014, and Wertheim successful 2017.
