The former managing editor at 60 Minutes, who was fired in May with several other top correspondents, has spoken out about the ouster, saying he and his colleagues were dismissed because they “would not compromise our principles or reputations by jamming unverifiable notions or White House talking points into our reporting”.
Guy Campanile, who worked at CBS News for 34 years, said in a private Facebook post obtained by the Guardian on Tuesday that he had held off on commenting about his dismissal right away, having decided it was “wise to remain quiet when emotions are raw”.
But “after some time and deep reflection, I am now comfortable and prepared to talk about it”, he wrote in the post.
Campanile said he, Tanya Simon, Draggan Mihailovich, Matthew Polevoy, Scott Pelley, Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega “refused to be accomplices in the destruction of the most prestigious news programme on American television”.
The firings took place after the new management of CBS News booted them as part of its overhaul of the venerated show.
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Of himself and his former colleagues who departed, Campanile wrote: “We would not compromise our principles or reputations by jamming unverifiable notions or White House talking points into our reporting. We objected when told to conduct interviews arranged by the administration.
“We insisted on asking the most challenging questions to business and political leaders without fear or favour. We did what reporters worth their salt do – we questioned authority… including our own bosses. That’s how the best newsrooms work.”
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He continued: “To be clear: we were told to leave because we insisted on doing our jobs. What has happened recently at 60 Minutes – where I believe editorial independence has become a casualty of corporate priorities and ideological intrusion – was tragic. But it was part of an inevitable progression in the cascade of afflictions that have devalued our most trusted sources of news.”
Campanile said “information has become commoditised in the attention economy” and that “facts are increasingly treated as items in a buffet, chosen depending on specific appetite and ideological tastes”.
He wrote: “Journalism, especially on television, is now largely an exercise in presentation rather than examination: lead with weather because policy can be complicated. Hype everything to a point where it’s hard to tell what is really important. Protect yourself and keep the public distracted by focusing on the ‘what’ rather than the ‘why’. Showcase anchors with shallow experience but blessed with exceptional haircuts. Broadcast sweeping deductions from sealed studios rather than speaking directly to the people making history or pummeled by events.
“Making matters worse is the cadre of self-described influencers and online opinionists who market themselves as ‘journalists’. Some have been given control of our most precious reporting institutions – including CBS News. Many of these newsroom managers have never been exposed to the depths of poverty, the ravages of war or the heartbreak of disaster. Yet these dilettantes and their enablers make critical programming decisions based on what might trend online over the next few hours.”
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CBS News also fired longtime journalist Scott Pelley, telling him he was being let go for “cause” due to his behaviour in a meeting with the show’s executive producer and network’s managing editor.
In this meeting, Pelley criticised Bari Weiss, the former opinion writer who is now CBS News editor-in-chief. Her appointment has spurred backlash from numerous network staffers who have voiced concerns about her impartiality.
“She’s murdering 60 Minutes,” Pelley remarked of Weiss. “She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it and is doing exactly that.”
CBS was contacted for comment. – Guardian