Trumpy Billionaire Scrambles to Calm Furious ‘60 Minutes’ Staff

Key Points:

• Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison is attempting to manage the fallout from the controversial firing of 60 Minutes leadership and star correspondents, amid concerns he and CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss are steering the program toward a pro-Trump agenda.
• The firings on May 28 included correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, and executive producer Tanya Simon, sparking internal unrest and public criticism, with some attributing the dismissals to clashes over editorial content critical of the Trump administration.
• Ellison has promised veteran correspondent Lesley Stahl and other remaining staff to respect 60 Minutes' editorial independence, while simultaneously cultivating close ties with the Trump administration as he pursues regulatory approval for a major media acquisition.
• Longtime correspondent Scott Pelley was fired after confronting the new executive producer Nick Bilton about the firings, intensifying tensions within the newsroom; meanwhile, Stahl and other correspondents have chosen to stay and work to preserve the program’s reputation.
• Despite assurances from Ellison and Bilton, skepticism remains among staff and observers about potential political influence on the program, with Pelley suggesting Weiss may be favoring the Trump administration’s perspective.