Time for all 60 Minutes correspondents to resign en masse to call attention to what is happening to this once storied program (and the highest rated program on the network). Lesley Stahl is 83; Bill Whitaker is 74; Scott Pelley is 68; Sharon Alfonsi is 52; and Norah O'Donnell is 51.
Their replacements will be (far worse) and likely younger right-wing shills, but if the current correspondents all signed off together, it might deprive the program of the gravitas it (rightly) earned in the past, vs what is happening to it now.
Definitely don't keep watching videos like this one about the conditions at cecot and the people trump is lying about in order to send there. They don't seem to want us to be informed about that. So we better not be watching this stuff over and over and talking about it forever until this shit is fixed. https://youtu.be/WMUbrG7eJbY
Not to mention the lack of videos on the network news about the crazy ass shit ICE and Border Patrol are doing - local network stations are really the only ones actually showing that unhinged shit in their states and I’m guessing those are the ones not owned by Sinclair. I’m actually kind of shocked there’s any left.
Wonder if any of my colleagues at local outlets will call the affiliates in their markets and ask if they're willing to pre-empt future episodes following this decision. They can turn over the staff. Nothing will change if the show doesn't make less money or there isn't pushback from their partners/sponsors.
I mean, Sinclair and Nextar pulled Jimmy Kimmel from every ABC station they owned before people noticed the lack of late night show and complained. The answer will be Yes if enough people fight.
Def don't want anyone losing jobs over this. I know that my stories usually include a "request for comments from the admin went unreturned at time if publication" when they dont respond. I also know I have more space for words than a 90-sec piece for the a block.
What industry? The one that exists in history but now doesn’t have a future unless people stand against government control and interference in it? That industry?
You want government control, go to North Korea. Or Great Britain.
Fight back by having the balls to start your own media outlet. Start a blog. Start a podcast. Fuck the people doing it now, I see better shit coming out of high school and college kids than adults that have been doing their job for 20-30-40 years.
Sorting the wheat from the chaff in the new media is really difficult, impossible for a lot of people, so we have a lot of people believing horrible misinformation now.
Apparently, I’m not allowed to call out Bari Weiss for exactly what she is and exactly what she supports. The downfall of journalism in America is happening (right here in this sub, in fact) but it’s being caused by some unnamable force which isn’t allowed to be called out or criticized here. Very Bari Weiss.
Our moderation is based on keeping this a journalism sub rather than a politics sub and keeping discussions friendly and respectful.
As for Bari Weiss in particular, there is plenty of room for fair criticism of her and of CBS. We're not expressing any editorial stance on her per se. That being said, there are comments that cross the line into being overtly partisan, homophobic or anti-Semitic.
We understand that we live in extraordinarily difficult times for press freedom in the U.S. However, there is a needle for us to thread as moderators to maintain this subreddit as a forum for working professionals, journalism students and others interested in the industry and practice of journalism.
Alfonsi stands as a model of courage. Yesterday, she sent an email laying out in stark terms not only what happened, but what the stakes mean for CBS News and for journalism more broadly. It stands as a clear and powerful statement of the work that is essential to democracy. I share it here in full.
-- Elliot Kirschner, past 60 Minutes producer, at his Substack
Sharyn Alfonsi's email to colleagues:
News Team,
Thank you for the notes and texts. I apologize for not reaching out earlier.
I learned on Saturday that Bari Weiss spiked our story, Inside CECOT, which was supposed to air tonight. We (Ori and I) [referring to producer Oriana Zill de Granados, a 15-year CBS veteran] asked for a call to discuss her decision. She did not afford us that courtesy/opportunity.Our story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards
and Practices. It is factually correct. In my view, pulling it now-after every rigorous internal check has been met is not an editorial decision, it is a political one.
We requested responses to questions and/or interviews with DHS, the White House, and the State Department. Government silence is a statement, not a VETO. Their refusal to be interviewed is a tactical maneuver designed to kill the story.
If the administration’s refusal to participate becomes a valid reason to spike a story, we have effectively handed them a “kill switch” for any reporting they find inconvenient.
If the standard for airing a story becomes “the government must agree to be interviewed,” then the government effectively gains control over the 60 Minutes broadcast. We go from an investigative powerhouse to a stenographer for the state.
These men risked their lives to speak with us. We have a moral and professional obligation to the sources who entrusted us with their stories. Abandoning them now is a betrayal of the most basic tenet of journalism: giving voice to the voiceless.
CBS spiked the Jeffrey Wigand interview due to legal concerns, nearly destroying the credibility of this broadcast. It took years to recover from that “low point.” By pulling this story to shield an administration, we are repeating that history, but for political optics rather than legal ones.
We have been promoting this story on social media for days. Our viewers are expecting it. When it fails to air without a credible explanation, the public will correctly identify this as corporate censorship. We are trading 50 years of “Gold Standard” reputation for a single week of political quiet.
I care too much about this broadcast to watch it be dismantled without a fight.
Do not use this community to engage in political discussions without a nexus to journalism.
r/Journalism focuses on the industry and practice of journalism. If you wish to promote a political campaign or cause unrelated to the topic of this subreddit, please look elsewhere.
Vichy CBS.
Time for all 60 Minutes correspondents to resign en masse to call attention to what is happening to this once storied program (and the highest rated program on the network). Lesley Stahl is 83; Bill Whitaker is 74; Scott Pelley is 68; Sharon Alfonsi is 52; and Norah O'Donnell is 51.
Their replacements will be (far worse) and likely younger right-wing shills, but if the current correspondents all signed off together, it might deprive the program of the gravitas it (rightly) earned in the past, vs what is happening to it now.
They have got to all quit. There isn’t another way out of this. RIP 60 Minutes.
Don't quit. Speak out and make them fire you.
Release/Leak the interviews on YouTube
Unreal. What a corrupt government we are living through.
Definitely don't keep watching videos like this one about the conditions at cecot and the people trump is lying about in order to send there. They don't seem to want us to be informed about that. So we better not be watching this stuff over and over and talking about it forever until this shit is fixed. https://youtu.be/WMUbrG7eJbY
Not to mention the lack of videos on the network news about the crazy ass shit ICE and Border Patrol are doing - local network stations are really the only ones actually showing that unhinged shit in their states and I’m guessing those are the ones not owned by Sinclair. I’m actually kind of shocked there’s any left.
You're absolutely right, that really is shocking. I see a lot of social media posts about raids and that's about it.
Why are they afraid to air it.
Bari is afraid of the president
Bari supports the president.
It’s a big club and we ain’t in it
A: Trump has been critical of the CBS-owning Ellisons recently, and they'll need his OK to acquire Warner Bros/CNN.
Wonder if any of my colleagues at local outlets will call the affiliates in their markets and ask if they're willing to pre-empt future episodes following this decision. They can turn over the staff. Nothing will change if the show doesn't make less money or there isn't pushback from their partners/sponsors.
I mean, Sinclair and Nextar pulled Jimmy Kimmel from every ABC station they owned before people noticed the lack of late night show and complained. The answer will be Yes if enough people fight.
Def don't want anyone losing jobs over this. I know that my stories usually include a "request for comments from the admin went unreturned at time if publication" when they dont respond. I also know I have more space for words than a 90-sec piece for the a block.
They're losing jobs anyway. Say your piece now and fight.
Don’t bring local affiliates in to the discussion. We didn’t sign the fucking contract. We just want a career in this industry.
It’s important to fight this thing however possible.
Nobody asked to be in this situation, but the more people step up, the better
What industry? The one that exists in history but now doesn’t have a future unless people stand against government control and interference in it? That industry?
You want government control, go to North Korea. Or Great Britain.
Fight back by having the balls to start your own media outlet. Start a blog. Start a podcast. Fuck the people doing it now, I see better shit coming out of high school and college kids than adults that have been doing their job for 20-30-40 years.
I think I just heard Walter Cronkite projectile vomit in his grave
Journalism is dead in the US.
I think it’s more that old giants are dying and newcomers are doing the real work.
Sorting the wheat from the chaff in the new media is really difficult, impossible for a lot of people, so we have a lot of people believing horrible misinformation now.
Time to boycott CBS
Lowell Bergman saw the writing on the wall back in the 1990s
Apparently, I’m not allowed to call out Bari Weiss for exactly what she is and exactly what she supports. The downfall of journalism in America is happening (right here in this sub, in fact) but it’s being caused by some unnamable force which isn’t allowed to be called out or criticized here. Very Bari Weiss.
Our moderation is based on keeping this a journalism sub rather than a politics sub and keeping discussions friendly and respectful.
As for Bari Weiss in particular, there is plenty of room for fair criticism of her and of CBS. We're not expressing any editorial stance on her per se. That being said, there are comments that cross the line into being overtly partisan, homophobic or anti-Semitic.
We understand that we live in extraordinarily difficult times for press freedom in the U.S. However, there is a needle for us to thread as moderators to maintain this subreddit as a forum for working professionals, journalism students and others interested in the industry and practice of journalism.
for want of said needle, the kingdom was lost
Just replace 60 Minutes with infomercials... Would be more factual and useful at this point.
Hang it up CBS, that dough ain't rising
Of course they did -
-- Elliot Kirschner, past 60 Minutes producer, at his Substack
News Team,
Thank you for the notes and texts. I apologize for not reaching out earlier.
I learned on Saturday that Bari Weiss spiked our story, Inside CECOT, which was supposed to air tonight. We (Ori and I) [referring to producer Oriana Zill de Granados, a 15-year CBS veteran] asked for a call to discuss her decision. She did not afford us that courtesy/opportunity.Our story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards
and Practices. It is factually correct. In my view, pulling it now-after every rigorous internal check has been met is not an editorial decision, it is a political one.
We requested responses to questions and/or interviews with DHS, the White House, and the State Department. Government silence is a statement, not a VETO. Their refusal to be interviewed is a tactical maneuver designed to kill the story.
If the administration’s refusal to participate becomes a valid reason to spike a story, we have effectively handed them a “kill switch” for any reporting they find inconvenient.
If the standard for airing a story becomes “the government must agree to be interviewed,” then the government effectively gains control over the 60 Minutes broadcast. We go from an investigative powerhouse to a stenographer for the state.
These men risked their lives to speak with us. We have a moral and professional obligation to the sources who entrusted us with their stories. Abandoning them now is a betrayal of the most basic tenet of journalism: giving voice to the voiceless.
CBS spiked the Jeffrey Wigand interview due to legal concerns, nearly destroying the credibility of this broadcast. It took years to recover from that “low point.” By pulling this story to shield an administration, we are repeating that history, but for political optics rather than legal ones.
We have been promoting this story on social media for days. Our viewers are expecting it. When it fails to air without a credible explanation, the public will correctly identify this as corporate censorship. We are trading 50 years of “Gold Standard” reputation for a single week of political quiet.
I care too much about this broadcast to watch it be dismantled without a fight.
Sharyn
[removed]
Do not use this community to engage in political discussions without a nexus to journalism.
r/Journalism focuses on the industry and practice of journalism. If you wish to promote a political campaign or cause unrelated to the topic of this subreddit, please look elsewhere.
Where have you gone Bill Owens? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you
CBS Beobachter
“Postpones”
Bari Weiss is a fucking joke
Is this why the Mount Everest story last night just went on and on and on.