Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim say they’ll ‘stay and fight’ at 60 Minutes Veteran journalists Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim have announced they will remain at CBS’s 60 Minutes, despite the recent firings of senior correspondents and producers. They expressed their decision to “stay and fight” to repair and preserve the broadcast’s reputation, emphasizing their commitment to independent journalism. The correspondents stated their decision hinges on seeing commitments to their process and procedures put into action, with a promise to leave if independent, fearless journalism cannot continue.

• Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim will remain at 60 Minutes.
• They aim to “stay and fight” to preserve the show’s integrity following recent firings and restructuring.
• The correspondents are “deeply upset” by the firings, viewing them as a potential attack on the show’s values and independence.
• They cited the “Mike Wallace tradition of hold their feet to the fire” as their guiding principle.
• Their decision to stay is contingent on seeing executive producer Nick Bilton’s promises of “journalistic independence” put into action.
• Stahl expressed pessimism about the future of press in general, citing concerns over editorial independence.
• Whitaker was the correspondent who conducted an interview with Kamala Harris that led to a lawsuit against the network.