Anderson Cooper on "60 Minutes." (Screen grab via CBS)
Last month, all seven "60 Minutes" correspondents moved to take some collective action in an effort to safeguard the program that they so deeply care about. Quietly, the group of famed journalists—Lesley Stahl, Scott Pelley, Bill Whitaker, Anderson Cooper, Sharyn Alfonsi, Jon Wertheim, and Cecilia Vega—decided amongst themselves to write a letter to the powers that be at CBS News' parent company, Paramount Global. According to five people familiar with the matter, the missive addressed to Paramount co-chief executive George Cheeks made a simple request: name Tanya Simon executive producer of "60 Minutes."
Simon has been serving as interim executive producer of the program since April, when the newsmagazine's then-boss Bill Owens resigned in protest of what he said was editorial interference from Paramount. Simon’s roots at "60 Minutes" run deep. She began her career at the broadcast in 1999 as an associate producer and has steadily climbed the ranks over the past 26 years. In that time, she’s earned widespread respect from her peers and is now regarded as a beloved leader amongst the show’s tightly-knit staff. As one staffer put it candidly, “The next E.P. has to be Tanya. There will be a revolt if it’s not her.”
But while the correspondents and producers are standing shoulder to shoulder in solidarity on the issue of their next leader, it's unclear what direction their bosses might go in. Indeed, I'm told that…
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Anna Wintour. (Photo by John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images)
Wintour Winds Down: It’s the end of an era at Vogue. In a surprise move, Anna Wintour announced to staffers Thursday that she will step down as editor in chief of the iconic fashion magazine. Wintour, who assumed the role more than three decades ago, called it “a pivotal decision that I’ve been thinking about for a long time.” But the 75-year-old said she will remain Vogue’s global editorial director and Condé Nast’s chief content officer, overseeing the company’s portfolio, save for The New Yorker led by David Remnick. While Wintour was mum on what specifically led to her decision, it comes amid broader changes at Condé, which recently tapped Vogue’s creative editorial director Mark Guiducci as Vanity Fair’s new top editor following Radhika Jones’ exit. Now, Condé will once again be on the hunt for the rarest of editors to lead its marquee publication amid the publishing industry’s ongoing convulsions. It goes without saying that Wintour leaves enormous shoes to fill.
Bill Moyers, the legendary journalist and former White House press secretary, died Thursday at 91. He was a steadfast supporter of Status from the start, participating in one of our very first Sunday Q&As last September, which may have been his final on-the-record interview. Behind the scenes, he also cheered us on. When I left CNN to launch this publication, he wrote to say I had “made the right call” and wished me “every success.” We’ll miss his clarity, his conscience, and his quiet encouragement.
Former CNN boss Tom Johnson: “In five decades of broadcast journalism, Bill reached the very highest standards of excellence in journalism. I believe he reached the same stature as Edward R. Murrow.” [USA Today]
Status Scoop | The WSJ is launching a “Talent Lab” that will aim to “enhance the creative capabilities of newsroom staff.” That’s according to job listings made public recently, which noted the Lab will equip journalists “with cutting-edge skills in content creation, audience engagement, and external communications.” Naturally, the listing made specific mention of newsletters and social media. The Emma Tucker-led broadsheet is looking to hire a director to lead the initiative (pay for the role is as high as $225K annually) and a talent coach (pay as high as $110K).
BBC unveiled a paywall for its U.S. users, charging $8.99 a month, or $49.99 a year. [Variety]
Refinery29 will be rebooted with Brooke DeVard at the helm. [Refinery29]
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