Lesley Stahl: Ellison pledged ’60 Minutes’ will retain editorial independence

Leslie Stahl, the veteran “60 Minutes” correspondent who recently announced her intention to stay with the program as it undergoes sweeping editorial changes, told colleagues this week she was given assurances the news magazine show would remain independent under its corporate ownership.

Stahl held a champagne toast in the “60 Minutes” newsroom on Monday and told fellow CBS staffers that David Ellison, the chief executive of the networks’ parent company, Paramount, assured her he was committed to keeping the program editorially independent, The New York Times reported.

“My toast was, ‘to us,’ meaning the survivors,” Stahl told the Times, referring to several high-profile firings implemented by CBS News leadership, including top........

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