WGA East and SAG-AFTRA call out the new leaders at CBS News and '60 Minutes'

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Both SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild East are condemning the recent firings at CBS’ “60 Minutes.”Under the news network’s editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, on-air correspondents Scott Pelley, Cecilia Vega, Sharyn Alfonsi and the program’s executive producer, Tanya Simon, have all been ousted from the legacy newsmagazine.The two unions, which represent journalists, said the recent actions appear to compromise editorial independence.WGA East president Tom Fontana wrote in a letter to members on Thursday that the changes at CBS News “are more than mere ideological interference with the news.

They display a profound contempt for the journalism profession.” He added, “it is clear that CBS brass is engaged in a near-constant level of editorial interference that would have previously been unthinkable.”SAG-AFTRA similarly said in a statement Thursday that these “decisions can only be seen as part of a broader strategy to gut the crucial independent journalism that is so important to our democratic system.”A spokesperson for CBS News said in a statement, “There is no political interference at CBS News, not from ownership, not from Bari Weiss.The only ‘interference’ is the normal back and forth between editor and correspondent that happens in every newsroom.” Pelley, one of the program’s most high-profile correspondents, was fired on Tuesday after speaking out during a team meeting.

He reportedly said Weiss “is murdering ‘60 Minutes.’ … She does not love this place.She was brought in to kill it, and she’s been doing exactly that.” He also questioned the newly hired executive producer, Nick Bilton and his ability to run the show, citing his lack of TV news experience.Pelley accused CBS News management of favoring the Trump administration by instructing him to put “falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story.” Hollywood Inc.

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