NEW YORK — Several dozen veterans of CBS News, including many former staff members of a long-running news program, signed a letter to Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison on Monday urging him and CBS News management to uphold editorial independence at the program. The letter followed the Thursday firing of the program’s executive producer, executive editor, and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and president Tom Cibrowski.
Alfonsi and Vega released statements alleging that the program’s editorial independence had been compromised for political purposes. In response, the letter from CBS veterans emphasized the program’s legacy, stating, “Institutional trust is not transferred through ownership. 60 Minutes prospered and had impact because it operated under an implicit and sacred obligation to the public.”
The signatories warned that changes to the program must not undermine its journalistic standards. “Modernizing the show for new audiences and new delivery approaches is important – but not at the cost of editorial integrity. The wholesale dismissal of editorial management, without a public pledge to maintain the values, standards, and traditions of this program, puts the legacy of 60 Minutes in jeopardy,” the letter read.
Scott Pelley, a veteran correspondent on the program who was not among those dismissed, issued a strong rebuke of the network’s leadership on Monday. Pelley accused Weiss of “murdering” the show. According to sources, he said, “She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it and is doing exactly that.”
The letter referenced Nick Bilton, the new executive producer of the program, who called it “the most important television journalism brand this country has ever produced.” Bilton, a New York Times veteran and broadcast novice, was recently installed in the role.
Among the letter’s organizers was Lowell Bergman, a former producer for the program known for its 1990s tobacco industry investigation. Signatories also included former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather, documentary director Alex Gibney, and actor Glenn Close, as well as numerous veterans of CBS and other networks. The group encouraged Ellison to send a clear message that he respects and values editorial independence and press freedom.