Fired '60 Minutes' Editor Breaks Silence: 'We Refused to Be Accomplices'
The managing editor of 60 Minutes who was fired in May has accused CBS News of bowing to political pressure and ideological interference, breaking his silence in a private Facebook post that went public on the same day the programme teased its new season lineup.
Guy Campanile, who spent 34 years at CBS News, was among several 60 Minutes veterans ousted during a sweeping shakeup that also removed star correspondent Scott Pelley and correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi (Variety; TV Insider). The post, obtained by The Guardian and recirculated by reporter Justin Baragona, pulls back the curtain on what happened behind the scenes.
Campanile wrote that he and his former colleagues "refused to be accomplices in the destruction of the most prestigious news program on American television" (Variety). He said they objected when told to conduct interviews arranged by the administration and insisted on asking tough questions to business and political leaders without fear or favour.
"We would not compromise our principles or reputations by jamming unverifiable notions or White House talking points into our reporting," Campanile wrote. He said editorial independence at 60 Minutes "has become a casualty of corporate priorities and ideological intrusion" (Variety).
The backdrop is a corporate takeover. Paramount Skydance and the Ellison family took over CBS News and installed Bari Weiss, founder of the Free Press, as editorial chief (Variety). The new leader of 60 Minutes said he fired Pelley for insubordination, while Pelley said he was defending the integrity of the show's journalism (NPR). In June, Pelley assessed that "CBS News is on fire" and alleged editorial decisions were made to "curry favor with the Trump administration" (Poynter).
Campanile took aim more broadly at what he sees as a drift in newsroom leadership. He criticised "self-described influencers and on-line opinionists who market themselves as journalists," saying some have been given control of reporting institutions, including CBS News (Variety).
The statement landed on 8 September, the same day 60 Minutes promoted its new season premiering 13 September with a photo of its correspondent lineup: Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, Norah O'Donnell and Ross Douthat (Variety). Douthat, a New York Times columnist, is a new addition to the roster.
Campanile was blunt about why he believes he lost his job. "We were told to leave because we insisted on doing our jobs," he wrote, adding that he and colleagues "questioned authority, including our own bosses" (Variety). CBS did not immediately respond to Variety's request for comment.
He closed with a message to the colleagues he left behind. Campanile said he departed CBS News "with my head held high and integrity intact" and urged them to "hold the line" (Variety).
