The “dispirited staff” of the iconic television newsmagazine attended a “hastily arranged” 11 a.m. virtual conference to which they were summoned by CBS News president Tom Cibrowski and Tanya Simon, the acting executive producer of “60 Minutes,” Status reported.
According to the report, Simon told staffers that she learned of the settlement through press reports, though she added that she was relieved that neither “60 Minutes” nor CBS News were forced to offer an apology to Trump under the terms of the settlement.
After Whitaker spoke during the 11 a.m. Zoom conference, he was followed by fellow correspondents Lesley Stahl and Sharyn Alfonsi, who “voiced deep frustration and dismay” at the company’s decision to settle with Trump, according to Status.
Both criticized the move, which they saw as a “capitulation” to political pressure in order to smooth regulatory pathways for the planned merger between Paramount Global and Skydance, led by Larry and David Ellison, Status reported.
Throughout the meeting, Cibrowski and Simon sought to reassure the newsroom, according to the report.
They emphasized that there had been no interference from corporate leadership during the closing stretch of the most recent season and pledged to protect the editorial independence of “60 Minutes” going forward.
Simon also sought to address lingering concerns about a post-merger shake-up in which management may try to bring in new blood and perhaps reorient the editorial bent by hiring someone like Bari Weiss, who reportedly spoke to David Ellison about a role at CBS News.
“The concern is what happens next,” one “60 Minutes” staffer told Status.
“Is this it? Or [does Skydance] say ‘We are going to bring a new person in’ and start tinkering around with this show.” The staffer added, “The institution could unravel.”
