Deadline has reported that Nick Bilton sent a memo after the firing of longtime correspondent Scott Pelley. Bilton attempted to assuage concerns about 60 Minutes retaining editorial independence amid claims of corporate interference. 

“The foundation of 60 Minutes is its journalistic independence. We will always pursue stories without fear or favor. We will always make the story the North Star — not relationships nor politics nor anything else. We will be guided solely and always by what makes the best piece for our viewers. And it should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: We will never be instructed by the ownership of the company on these stories,” Bilton wrote via Deadline. 

He continued by speaking to the importance of debate in the field of journalism, “Discussion, debate and disagreement are essential to the making of good journalism. All will be done in good faith, and always with respect and trust-and with fidelity to the practices that have served us well for 58 years,” via Deadline.

Bilton sung the praises of his three remaining correspondents, “Lesley, Bill and Jon are core to this show’s success. They have sat across from the most powerful people in the world and refused to blink. Audiences trust them because they have proved it, story by story, for decades. Working with them is a privilege and every journalist’s dream,” via Deadline. Bilton stated that he had been in consultation with the three journalists.

Pelley was fired after an altercation with Bilton in which he accused CBS News Editor-In-Chief, Bari Weiss, of “murdering the show”. Pelley was reportedly upset about the dismissal of executive producer Tanya Simon  and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega. Both Vega and Alfonsi made complaints of “attempted interference” despite 60 Minutes’ longstanding policy of editorial independence. 

Pelley was dismissed from the program on Tuesday. Bilton informed him via letter that he had been terminated with cause. Weiss claimed that she had attempted to reconcile with Pelley, but they were unable to find common ground. Pelley released a statement that conflicted with Weiss’s. Pelley stated that she and CBS News President Tom Cibrowski were hostile from the start.