Lesley Stahl Says She Stayed at ’60 Minutes’ Out of Fear the Show Would Disappear

Longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl says she chose to remain on the program under CBS News chief Bari Weiss because she feared the decades-old news show could otherwise disappear entirely.

Stahl, speaking Thursday at a “Power 100” luncheon hosted by Daily Beast editor Joanna Coles, said she has faced backlash on social media for renewing her contract following a wave of departures at “60 Minutes” that included correspondents Scott Pelley, Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, along with several senior producers.

“I myself have been under attack on social media because of my decision to stay at ’60 Minutes’ under the new regime. It was not an easy decision,” Stahl said.

She said the choice was made alongside fellow correspondents Bill Whitaker and John Wertheim.

“There was an urge to walk out and protest in solidarity with our colleagues who had been abruptly and cruelly fired. But we decided to stay out of a fear, a fear that if we didn’t, ’60 Minutes’ would vanish,” Stahl said.

Stahl acknowledged that the program has lost viewers since the shake-up, with ratings down roughly 15% compared with last season.

“Many loyal viewers over the last 58 years have tuned us out, we presume, in protest,” she said, adding a direct appeal: “To those who stopped watching, I’m asking you please to come back.”

While she stopped short of naming Weiss or other top executives, including newly installed executive producer Nick Bilton, Stahl said she, Wertheim and Whitaker are “doing our best to fend off interference.”

Weiss, who was invited to the luncheon, did not attend. A source close to the situation said she was likely reluctant to appear at an event hosted by The Daily Beast, which has repeatedly described her as “MAGA curious” and “MAGA coded.”

Guests who turned out in support of Stahl included “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King, former “60 Minutes” executive producer Tanya Simon, CBS News correspondent Susan Spencer, and PBS NewsHour’s Judy Woodruff, a longtime friend of Stahl’s.

Weiss took over CBS News more than a year ago under a mandate from Skydance CEO David Ellison, the network’s new owner, to bring greater editorial balance. Since then she has navigated repeated controversies, including the handling of a “60 Minutes” segment on deportations to El Salvador’s CECOT prison and a series of high-profile personnel changes.