RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesBari Weiss’ handpicked 60 Minutes leader Nick Bilton sent a 734-word email to staff over the weekend that was leaked to Status
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60 Minutes executive producer Nick Bilton scolded his staff in an email about the influx of leaks to the press — shortly before his message was shared with a reporter.
Bilton, a 49-year-old tech journalist with no prior broadcast experience, took on the role at CBS in May as part of a major overhaul of the network under editor-in-chief Bari Weiss , whose leadership has spurred a series of setbacks and steady decline in viewership.
He faced a tumultuous start, immediately clashing with veteran anchor Scott Pelley, 68, who accused Weiss of “murdering” 60 Minutes during a fiery meeting. Bilton then fired Pelley in June after accusing him of hijacking his first meeting with staff.
Bilton had promised in an email to staff, which was leaked to the media, that he would honor the program's “journalistic independence.”
The executive producer is apparently still troubled by the leaks, according to a 734-word email he sent to staff over the weekend, which was also leaked to Oliver Darcy at Status, according to Mediaite.
In the message, Bilton welcomed staff back from July vacations, thanking them for their recent work before delving into “a few housekeeping notes.”
Bilton noted several small changes, including that he moved into a smaller office so that his former space could be turned into a conference room, that he replaced a dry-erase storyboard with a digital one, and that there were some new hires.
However, after that, Bilton addressed staffers leaking the emails he sends them to the press.
According to Darcy’s reporting, the memo made it clear that Bilton was frustrated by the constant speculation about the show and the constant stream of unauthorized information getting out to the press.
The report did not mention Bilton explicitly threatening to fire leakers, but implied that there would be consequences.
“Since I started here there has been roughly a rumor a day,” Bilton wrote. “About me, about you, about what’s coming next — 95 percent of them are fabrications and blatantly incorrect.”
“I no longer have the time or patience for them, and I’d rather we spend that energy on the stories,” he continued.
“If you hear something and it matters to you, come ask me and I’ll tell you what I know,” Bilton wrote. “Otherwise I’d like this place to be talked about for what we put on television.”
It was not immediately clear what leaks Bilton referred to as being fabricated.
The leaked message comes as Sharyn Alfonsi and Pelley, both ousted from 60 Minutes, have landed new roles at Columbia Journalism School, serving as Journalists in Residence during the upcoming academic year.
In the role, they will mentor students, deliver lectures and contribute to the Columbia Journalism Review.
Alfonsi called the role “an extraordinary privilege,” while Pelley said the career change comes at “a critical time for a free press.”
“Columbia is leading the way in training the next generation of great journalists, and I am honored to join Sharyn in that vital cause,” he said.
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