’60 Minutes’ Reportedly Tried to Rehire Fired Editor Amid Show Shakeup

In another sign of the chaos behind the scenes at 60 Minutes, the show’s new executive producer, Nick Bilton, reportedly tried to rehire one of the editors who had been previously fired by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.

According to Oliver Darcy’s Status newsletter, Bilton tried to convince former executive editor Draggan Mihailovich to return to the show, just weeks after he was ousted by Weiss. Bilton reportedly asked 60 Minutes correspondents Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim to contact Mihailovich to see whether he’d be willing to come back.

Mihailovich, who started as a producer on 60 Minutes II in 1999 before moving to 60 Minutes in 2004, is said to have declined the offer.

“Bilton’s openness to potentially rehiring the show’s top editor amounts to yet another acknowledgment that Weiss badly misjudged when she carried out her ill-conceived firings at 60 Minutes,” Darcy wrote. “Indeed, it is difficult to interpret the move as anything but an admission that perhaps Mihailovich should not have been pushed out to begin with.”

Last month, Weiss fired Mihailovich, alongside 60 Minutes executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi. The firings were met with backlash both inside and outside of CBS News, including from longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley, who aired his grievances during a staff meeting.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Westminster School (@westminsterschool)

Pelley confronted Bilton, who was hired to replace Simon, telling him he had “slender qualifications” for the job. He also blasted Weiss’ takeover of CBS News, claiming that she’s “murdering 60 Minutes.” Pelley was subsequently terminated “for cause, effective immediately.”

Related

‘60 Minutes’ Producer Michael Gavshon Quits CBS News: Report

Bilton has been attempting to cleanup the mess at 60 Minutes, including hiring renowned producer Maria Gavrilovic, who worked closely with Pelley. According to Status, some staffers have appreciated Bilton’s efforts, while others remain skeptical.

The new producer also managed to convince Stahl, Whitaker, and Wertheim to remain with the show. Last week, the three reporters put out a joint statement to announce they would stick with the show to “try to repair and preserve” its reputation.

“If we can continue doing the work that made this show what it is—committing acts of independent, fearless journalism and storytelling—we’re here for it,” the group wrote. “If not, we leave.” However, they also noted that their decision to stay should not be “construed as an endorsement of the existing power structure.”