‘60 Minutes’ Draws the Line

While Paramount Global and Donald Trump negotiate behind the scenes with a mediator over a potential settlement that could decide the fate of the historic Hollywood studio, a very different kind of showdown has been unfolding inside the company—one that pits the "60 Minutes" correspondents against their corporate bosses.

In early May, as we first reported last week, all seven correspondents from the newsmagazine wrote to Paramount, CBS News’ parent company, requesting longtime staffer Tanya Simon be elevated to the role of executive producer. But, I've since learned from people familiar with the matter that the group of famed journalists—Lesley Stahl, Scott Pelley, Bill Whitaker, Anderson Cooper, Sharyn Alfonsi, Jon Wertheim, and Cecilia Vega—did not stop there.

In the note sent to Paramount co-chief executives George Cheeks, Brian Robbins, and Chris McCarthy, the seven journalists took a hard stance on Trump's lawsuit against "60 Minutes," according to people familiar with the matter. While acknowledging that mistakes have certainly been made over the years, I’m told they emphasized that the show has always corrected any errors transparently, in keeping with its determination to serve the public as an honest broker of news. But, they added, when they are factually correct, they must defend themselves from attack.