Paramount Boss David Ellison Assures Lesley Stahl He’ll Preserve ’60 Minutes’ Editorial Freedom

Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Paramount CEO David Ellison privately assured veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl that he will respect the show’s editorial independence, she revealed.

Stahl told The New York Times that Ellison called her on Sunday and pledged not to interfere with the editorial direction of 60 Minutes after months of upheaval that have reportedly shaken confidence inside the program and raised questions about its future under Paramount’s ownership.

The outreach marked one of Ellison’s first known efforts to personally address concerns among staff after the removal of several senior figures tied to the show. The overhaul, overseen by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, triggered a backlash inside CBS News and drew public criticism from longtime correspondent Scott Pelley, who was among those dismissed.

Speaking to staff during a champagne toast at the program’s offices on Monday, Stahl shared details of the call as she sought to boost morale among employees facing an uncertain future.

Stahl said that she, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim, the three remaining correspondents on the program, decided to remain because they did not “want to see 60 Minutes die.”

“My toast was, ‘to us,’ meaning the survivors,” Stahl told the newspaper. “Maybe ‘us’ with a twinge of survivor’s guilt.”

Last week, dozens of prominent journalists and former CBS News figures signed an open letter urging Ellison to publicly commit to preserving 60 Minutes‘ independence.

The turmoil has intensified scrutiny of Ellison, whose stewardship of CBS News has been closely watched since Paramount changed hands.

Concerns have also been fueled by allegations from former correspondents that Weiss exercised politically motivated editorial influence during the most recent season. The network has denied those claims.

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