On April 22, Invoice Owens, solely the third govt producer of “60 Minutes” in its 57-year historical past, abruptly resigned from his place, citing editorial interference from administration at CBS. And now, the information journal itself has aired a stinging rebuke of that interference, delivered on-air by host Scott Pelley because the closing section of its April 27 broadcast.
The community’s mother or father firm, Paramount, has been making an attempt to clear the best way with the Trump administration’s Division of Justice for its Skydance merger. Following Trump’s lawsuit towards “60 Minutes” for what the now-President and his attorneys had recommended, with little foundation, was a flattering edit to a 2024 interview together with his opponent Kamala Harris, Paramount seems to have turn out to be anxious it may not be easy crusing for the merger in any case.
Subsequently, in January, CBS launched a brand new layer of administration so as to add further supervision in vetting tales throughout CBS Information’ portfolio of reveals. Susan Zirinski, who had as soon as been president of CBS Information, was named interim govt editor. In his on-air rebuke, Pelley was clear to say that CBS had not killed any tales in regards to the Trump administration or its impact on Individuals’ lives prior to now few months. However his assertion made it clear that interference had occurred.
“In tonight’s ‘Final Minute,’ a notice on Invoice Owens, who till this previous week was govt producer of ’60 Minutes.’ He was our boss. Invoice was with CBS Information almost 40 years, 26 years at ’60 Minutes.’ He coated the world. He coated fight, the White Home. His was a quest to open minds, not shut them. If you happen to’ve ever labored exhausting for a boss since you admired him, then you definitely perceive what we’ve loved right here. Invoice resigned Tuesday. It was exhausting on him and exhausting on us. However he did it for us. And also you. Tales we’ve pursued for 57 years are sometimes controversial. Currently, the Israel-Gaza Warfare and the Trump administration. Invoice made positive they have been correct and truthful. He was robust that method. However our mother or father firm, Paramount, is making an attempt to finish a merger. The Trump administration should approve it. Paramount started to oversee our content material in new methods. None of our tales has been blocked, however Invoice felt he’d misplaced the independence that trustworthy journalism requires. Nobody right here is comfortable about it, however in resigning Invoice proved one factor: He was the precise particular person to guide ’60 Minutes’ all alongside.”
The on-air criticism, uncommon for “60 Minutes” — although Lesley Stahl expressed her displeasure — follows rising discontent throughout the published journalism world as executives stability their reporters’ independence with a need to play good with the administration. MSNBC was already in a multitude, with falling scores and Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski’s misguided November go to to Mar-a-Lago. The community then fired Pleasure Reid and decreased Alex Wagner’s visibility. NBCUniversal is hoping to spin off the community as its personal firm later this yr. Jon Stewart had additionally known as out CNN and NBC Information for telling reporters to not share their opinions.
Mark Thompson appears to have stabilized the ship at CNN. He wanted to, following Trump-courting missteps through the Biden years equivalent to firing Brian Stelter (who’s now been rehired) and internet hosting a city corridor with Trump the day after he’d been discovered answerable for rape as the decision within the E. Jean Carroll civil trial. To not point out that little matter of reducing from sobering footage through the first day of the conflict on Ukraine in 2022 to an Applebee’s industrial.
The best way to navigate this second is one thing all of the networks are fighting, however within the case of CBS and “60 Minutes,” one factor does appear clear: The strikes of the previous few months that prompted Owens’ departure have been made to serve Paramount’s pursuits, not the viewers’.
Watch your complete section of Pelley discussing Owens’ departure under.