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The president of nan Writers Guild of America, East weighed successful connected nan firing of 60 Minutes analogous Scott Pelley and others astatine nan newsmagazine, arguing that nan moves show that apical brass show “profound contempt for nan publicity profession.”
Tom Fontana wrote successful a missive to members, “In nan past year, CBS has enacted sadistic and needless layoffs crossed nan statement and shuttered CBS News Radio. In addition, based connected a drawstring of nationalist reporting and confidential reports from WGAE members, it is clear that CBS brass is engaged successful a near-constant level of editorial interference that would person antecedently been unthinkable.”
Citing nan firing of Pelley, which came aft he had a verbal confrontation pinch nan new 60 Minutes executive producer, Fontana wrote that “CBS guidance is apparently excessively thin-skinned to grip nan honorable scrutiny of their ain journalists.”
“These assaults connected CBS News, an institution of American publicity for astir a century, are much than specified ideological interference pinch nan news,” Fontana wrote. “They show a profound contempt for nan publicity profession, for our members who person dedicated their lives to informing nan nationalist astir nan world, and for nan morals that underpin existent journalism, main among them honesty, integrity, and objectivity.”
WGAE rank includes CBS News staffers. The guild has antecedently criticized web layoffs, nan closure of CBS News Radio and nan cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s late-night show, among different caller moves of nan network.
“To our friends and colleagues astatine CBS News: we spot you, and you are not alone. Thousands of your national brothers, sisters, and siblings person your backs. We guidelines enarthrosis to enarthrosis pinch you now, we will beryllium location pinch you erstwhile this difficult clip successful American life passes, and we will thief you build what comes next,” Fontana wrote.
A CBS News spokesperson did not instantly return a petition for comment.
Pelley was fired connected Tuesday evening, ending a 37-year tenure astatine nan web that included a agelong tally arsenic 60 Minutes analogous and a stint arsenic anchor of nan CBS Evening News. Last week, CBS News editor successful main Bari Weiss ousted 60 Minutes executive shaper Tanya Simon, replacing her pinch tech journalist Nick Bilton. Also fired were different apical producers of nan show, arsenic good arsenic correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega.
