Dan Rather, Lowell Bergman and dozens of other journalists urged David Ellison to protect CBS News’ editorial independence on Monday, noting his legal duty to do so after Skydance acquired Paramount and “60 Minutes.”
“We, the undersigned, urge you and your management team at CBS News to uphold the principle of editorial independence that has made ‘60 Minutes’ — in the words of the show’s new executive producer — ‘the most important television journalism brand this country has ever produced,’” they wrote in a letter to the CEO. “Acquiring CBS News came with a legal requirement to serve the public interest, avoid political interference and maintain editorial independence.”
“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,” they continued. “What is at stake is not just the future of the most important and enduring television journalism program in this country, but the future of free and independent press in America.”
TheWrap has reached out to CBS News for comment.
The journalists’ letter comes the same day “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley reportedly accused editor-in-chief Bari Weiss of trying to “murder” the newsmagazine while openly questioning new executive producer Nick Bilton as he took over in a Monday meeting.
“She has no qualifications for her job; you have slender qualifications for this job,” the former “CBS Evening News” anchor reportedly said. “The changes that she’s made at the ‘Evening News’ have been catastrophic, so why should we expect that any of this is going to be any better?”
Pelley’s comments, meanwhile, came days after his colleagues Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega and EP Tanya Simon were fired from the network, a situation which he supposedly referred to as “Black Thursday.”
In addition to Rather and Bergman, the other signatories on the Monday letter included Peter Klein, Besty West, Steve Kroft, Lisa Cohen, Bob Orr, Vicki Mabrey, Wyatt Andrews, Richard Schlesinger, Jim Stewart, Anna Quindlen, David Gelber, Rome Hartman, Wayne Nelson, John Marks, Alan Goldberg, Mitch Weltzner, Jeff Newton, Janet Roach, Alex Gibney and even Glenn Close.
