Three '60 Minutes' correspondents announce intentions to remain with show, despite Pelley departure

Three "60 Minutes" correspondents told colleagues in an open letter Friday that they intend to stay with the program despite a series of changes that included firing former correspondent Scott Pelley after an argument with the show's executive producer. 

Correspondents Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim said they are staying with the program because “we don’t want to see 60 Minutes die," but admitted they were "grieving" the loss of their colleagues. 

CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss fired or declined to renew several correspondents' contracts recently after arguments over the direction of the news program. Pelley was fired Tuesday after he slammed Weiss in a "60 Minutes" meeting with new executive producer Nick Bilton on Monday, claiming she was at the network to "kill" the program.

The trio of correspondents staying with the program said the recent firings happened because “they fought for our 60 Minutes values and stood up to protect our independence and integrity.”

“Newsrooms are not supposed to be run like dictatorships. Collaboration and argument are the way we have always worked at 60," the journalists wrote. “We have been grieving because this whole mess has wounded and damaged the broadcast.

"We want to stay and fight, try to repair and preserve our reputation by continuing the Mike Wallace tradition of holding their feet to the fire as well as Morley’s brand of quirky off-kilter reports like his on why people in Finland like to tango," they added. 

The network confirmed the trio's plans to remain with "60 Minutes," for its 59th season in a statement to The Hill.

“We’re excited for Season 59 with Lesley, Bill, and Jon as star correspondents and Nick at the helm," CBS said.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.