Leslie Stahl on CBS News Turmoil
Leslie Stahl, a long-time correspondent for “60 Minutes,” described the recent upheaval at CBS News as the “worst experience ever” in her more than five-decade career in journalism.
In comments to Pac News, Stahl expressed her anger over the firings, particularly regarding Scott Pelley’s situation. She noted that Pelley’s main issue was management’s refusal to clarify why certain key team members were let go. The recent purge affected several prominent staff, including executive producer Tanya Simon, senior executive producer Dragan Mihajlovic, and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, among others.
“It was obviously the most difficult chapter of my career,” she stated.
Stahl emphasized, “This was the worst experience I have ever been involved in or witnessed.” Her remarks came shortly after she and her colleagues, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim, revealed they would continue with the show for the next season.
At 84, Stahl still doesn’t grasp the reasons behind the dismissals of her former colleagues. “They fired everyone who was around Tanya,” she remarked. “I don’t know why.”
Discussing her former colleague Campanile, she said, “He has no idea why he was fired. Nothing.” Stahl reiterated Pelley’s account regarding a meeting with management that took place just hours before Pelley’s dismissal, reflecting on how crew members questioned the reasons for their firings.
Stahl noted, “That’s why he was upset. Tell me why they were fired. That was his question. He never answered.” She stated that management had perceived Pelley’s inquiry as dishonest.
Previously, it was reported that Pelley’s unexpected termination followed his confrontation with new executive producer Nick Bilton during a staff meeting, which Stahl missed as she was traveling in Spain.
A spokesperson for CBS explained to Pac News that the company is legally bound to maintain confidentiality regarding employee terminations.
Stahl also recounted Simon’s dismissal, mentioning that she joined a meeting to discuss the future of “60 Minutes” but was instead let go in just a few minutes. She stated that Simon had been informed on May 28 that she and Mihajlovic needed to vacate the office by 5 p.m. that day.
CBS disputed this account, stating that dismissed employees were initially told their access would be cut off at 5 p.m. but were later advised by HR that they could take until 8 p.m. to leave.
Stahl conveyed that she contemplated leaving the program but ultimately decided to stay, feeling a commitment to her colleagues. “We were going to do it together,” she affirmed, referring to her alliance with Whitaker and Wertheim.
After deciding to remain, Stahl urged Bilton not to make sweeping changes to the show during a recent dinner. “On Sunday night, I was pleading with them not to change anything,” she shared, noting that after 60 years and a recent uptick in viewership, the program “is not that broken, so why quote and fix it?”
The Post has sought comments from CBS News regarding the situation.
