’60 Minutes’ Goes on Alert: How the News Program Is Grappling With Paramount and Trump

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Did Donald Trump break “60 Minutes”?

On Sunday evening, Scott Pelley broke the “emergency exit” window – a move that the “60 Minutes” team fervently hopes will never be necessary.

In an unexpected step, “60 Minutes” exposed its internal operations to the general public last Sunday night, with Scott Pelley talking about Bill Owens’ sudden departure – the third executive producer in the show’s history and the one steering the ship since 2019. This conversation hinted at the stress experienced by the team due to the influence Paramount Global, CBS News’ parent company, was exerting on the established newsmagazine. Pelley’s comments set the stage for a notable instance in recent years where media corporations have clashed with their supposedly autonomous news divisions, particularly amid concerns about potential interference from the Trump administration.

Paramount started managing our content in different methods. Although none of our tales have been censored, Pelley expressed concern that this change may have taken away the autonomy needed for unbiased reporting. Recently, Owens announced his departure from the program, stating that he was no longer able to make independent choices that best served ’60 Minutes’ and its audience.

For approximately six decades, the TV show “60 Minutes” has delved into investigations of politicians, corporations, and military operations. It’s understandable that Paramount would seek an additional level of examination for this program, according to three individuals with knowledge of the situation. In fact, it’s thought that the show enhanced its review process for content following a 2013 broadcast which scrutinized an attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. This segment was later criticized for not adequately verifying claims made by a crucial source.

Nonetheless, while the focus remains on journalistic aspects according to three individuals acquainted with the production, the situation becomes more complex when Paramount’s decision-making process is under close examination as it prepares for a potential acquisition by Skydance Media. This transaction could inject new financial resources into Paramount and aid Shari Redstone in preserving her family wealth. However, it seems that the proceedings have been delayed due to a lawsuit initiated against CBS by President Trump in November, claiming the show manipulated viewers with edited interviews featuring former Vice President Kamala Harris.

As a discerning moviegoer peering into the world of television news, I found myself intrigued by recent changes unfolding at CBS News. In January, Paramount’s co-CEO, George Cheeks, appointed Susan Zirinsky as the interim executive editor for their news division. This move was made against a backdrop of controversies that Cheeks claimed had sparked criticism about perceived bias in some of CBS News’ coverage.

Though Zirinsky and her team have garnered respect and admiration, the staff at “60 Minutes” felt they were under a new, scrutinizing lens. This gaze was focused not just on their work, but also on how the show’s stories might influence Paramount’s business dealings.

One individual knowledgeable about the production claims that these internal dynamics have often diverted the team from their primary objective. They found Pelley’s Sunday segment uplifting, noting that the public defense of the program’s authenticity provided by Pelley served to realign the staff’s focus towards completing this season within the upcoming three weeks.

On several occasions, I’ve found myself in disagreement with the corporation that currently oversees my operations, a situation reminiscent of 1995 when CBS compelled us, under the leadership of our founder Don Hewitt, to postpone a report implicating tobacco conglomerate Brown & Williamson for concealing health risks associated with their cigarettes. Some high-ranking CBS officials at that time seemed reluctant to engage in legal disputes with this company. Subsequently, The Wall Street Journal scooped our story, and CBS News faced criticism from The New York Times for what was perceived as a betrayal of the legacy left by one of its most revered journalists, Edward R. Murrow.

Pelley is less likely nowadays to challenge societal norms compared to his past performances. Modern viewers have become more accepting of news anchors criticizing their corporate superiors, as Rachel Maddow does at MSNBC. Last year, Pat McAfee, an open-minded anchor at Disney’s ESPN, publicly rebuked one of the network’s high-ranking executives on live television.

Initially, it may appear that Pelley and McAfee have few similarities. But as media corporations face uncertain economic times, emotional outbursts on screen could potentially increase.

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2025-04-29 19:53