New CBS 60 minutes Executive producer Nick Bilton praised the show’s three remaining correspondents, Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim, and pledged that the venerable news magazine would be free of corporate pressures, in a memo to the show’s staff Thursday afternoon.
Pelton said he consulted with the three reporters before sending the memo.
“We talked about what makes 60 minutes “It is extraordinary,” he wrote, “about the traditions and heritage of the past, and about how the work that produces such important pieces is done.” 60 minutes It is its journalistic independence. “We will always follow the stories without fear or favour.”
“We will always make the story the North Star, not the relationships, not the politics, not anything else,” he added. “We will only and always be guided by what makes the best piece for our viewers. And it should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: We will never be guided by company ownership on those stories.”
Read Pelton’s memo below.
a team,
It’s been a rough and tough few days. i know that. I’ve spent a lot of time talking with many of you, especially consulting with Leslie, Bill, and John.
We talked about what makes 60 Minutes such an exceptional program, the traditions and legacy of the past, and how you go about the work that produces such important pieces. We also talked about change: about new audiences, new platforms, and new ways of telling the stories that these new audiences need. We’ll talk more about that in the coming weeks.
There are a few things I want to emphasize now.
60 Minutes is an exceptional show. He is beloved by the masses and is part of the American fabric. This is because of your ambition for the boldest and most inspiring stories. Your commitment to accuracy and care. Your standards of excellence in presentation, reporting and production.
The foundation of 60 Minutes is its journalistic independence. We will always follow stories without fear or favour.
We will always make story our North Star, not relationships, politics, or anything else. We will only and always be guided by what makes the best piece for our viewers. It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: We will never be guided by company ownership on those stories.
Sunday night business. It’s the best hour of television journalism anywhere. We’ll continue to do the things we do that make it so great — scheduled performances, detailed script work, editing, and long-format pieces. I’m a curious person and I love stories, and as executive producer I will shape the show as a whole. I will discuss ideas with you, delve into the scripts and edits with you, and sign off on the parts. Brave reporters and bold producers will remain at the core of every piece we broadcast.
Discussion, debate and disagreement are essential to making good journalism. Everything will be done in good faith, always with respect and trust, and in fidelity to the practices that have served us well for 58 years.
Now, I want to move on to the hard work of Season 59. I want to learn from you, and the people who know this show intimately will be by my side. In fact, I’m happy to announce that Marija Gavrilovich has just been appointed as Senior Producer. You will be one of those people.
Leslie, Bill and John are the foundation of the success of this show. They sat in front of the most powerful people in the world and refused to bat an eye. The public trusts them because they’ve proven it, story by story, for decades.
Working with them is the privilege and dream of every journalist.
Over the past few days, I’ve thanked each and every one of you for your work, and I’ll say it again here: thank you. It was hell the first week. Let’s get to work.
Until then,
Nick
