New 60 Minutes chief vows editorial independence, says Stahl, Whitaker and Wertheim are key to future
New “60 Minutes” boss Nick Bilton sought to assure staff that the storied news program would not be subject to corporate interference as he declared that the show’s three remaining correspondents are “core” to its future.In an internal memo obtained by The Post, Bilton moved to reassure employees after a tumultuous week that saw the firing of veteran correspondent Scott Pelley following a headline-grabbing dustup in which Pelley claimed CBS News Editor-in-chief Bari Weiss was “murdering” the show.“The foundation of 60 Minutes is its journalistic independence,” Bilton wrote.“We will always pursue stories without fear or favor.
We will always make the story the North Star — not relationships nor politics nor anything else.”In perhaps the clearest response yet to allegations from departing correspondents that management has attempted to influence editorial decisions, Bilton added: “We will never be instructed by the ownership of the company on those stories.”Bilton’s memo was distributed after The Post reported that Lesley Stahl, the veteran correspondent who has been with the show for more than three decades, was taking part in the filming of a segment for the program.Stahl’s decision to go out on assignment is fueling speculation inside CBS News that the 84-year-old veteran plans to stay at “60 Minutes” despite the turmoil engulfing the program.“Lesley was shooting a segment for next season,” one source told The Post.“She must be staying at the company.”The development comes after last week’s bloodbath claimed correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, executive producer Tanya Simon, senior executive producer Draggan Mihailovich and other senior producers.The memo came one day after Status reported that the show’s three remaining correspondents — Stahl, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim — met privately to discuss their futures following Pelley’s dramatic ouster.The meeting lasted more than an hour, according t...