Remaining ‘60 Minutes’ correspondents commit to staying at the show

The three remaining “60 Minutes” correspondents — Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim — have committed to remaining at the show after a series of tumultuous changes, including Scott Pelley’s firing this week.

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In a joint memo to colleagues obtained by MS NOW, the correspondents wrote that they decided to stay because “we don’t want to see ‘60 Minutes’ die.”

“If we can continue doing the work that made this show what it is — committing acts of independent, fearless journalism and storytelling — we’re here for it,” the trio wrote. “If not, we leave.”

The future of the more than 50-year-old show has become uncertain in recent months following a spate of firings under the leadership of CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance, handpicked Weiss to lead the network last year.

Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi’s contract expired last month after she criticized Weiss for pulling her segment on torture in Salvadoran prisons from the air. (Weiss maintained that the story was not ready, and a revised version aired a month later.) The show’s former executive producers, Tanya Simon and Draggan Mihailovich, were also ousted last week, as was correspondent Cecilia Vega.

But the drama reached a fever pitch earlier this week, after Pelley reportedly confronted newly installed executive producer Nick Bilton at a Monday meeting, alleging Bilton had “slender” qualifications for the job and that Weiss was “murdering” the show. Pelley was fired the next day.

The correspondents addressed these recent ousters in their memo, writing that they are “still deeply upset by the firings of Tanya and Draggan, strong leaders who everyone respected.”