\n\tThey\u2019re staying.<\/p>\n
\n\tLesley Stahl<\/a>, Bill Whitaker<\/a> and Jon Wertheim<\/a> said in a memo Friday that they would remain at \u201c60 Minutes<\/a>,\u201d potentially calming the chaotic situation that has festered at the CBS News program<\/a> since the ouster of top executives and three of the program\u2019s correspondents, including executive producer Tanya Simon, executive editor Draggan Mihailovich, as well as Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega, and, more recently, Scott Pelley.<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe have decided to stay on,\u201d the trio said.<\/p>\n \n\tBut their misgivings over what has happened at the venerable newsmagazine in the past week were made clear. \u201cWe have had a hard time deciding whether to stay at\u2019 60 Minutes.\u2019 We\u2019re still deeply upset by the firings of Tanya and Draggan, strong leaders who everyone respected. As far as we can tell \u2014 because no explanation has ever been offered, they were expelled because they fought for our \u201960 Minutes\u2019 values and stood up to protect our independence and integrity,\u201d the three journalists said. \u201cNewsrooms are not supposed to be run like dictatorships. Collaboration and argument are the way we have always worked at \u201960.\u2019 Don Hewitt actually encouraged loud passionate advocacy for our pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe \u201c60 Minutes\u201d staff has been roiled by decisions made by CBS News senior executives under the aegis of Bari Weiss, the division\u2019s editor in chief. While many understand her interest in expanding the show\u2019s purview beyond its traditional Sunday-night perch, they do not see the strategy in dismissing top journalists, including Pelley, who has enjoyed a storied career at CBS News. The audience for the linear \u201c60 Minutes\u201d TV program in this most recent TV season was up by 9%.<\/p>\n \n\tThe trio also criticized the decision to oust their fellow correspondents. \u201cThese principled, fair and honest journalists were treated so shabbily, with such indecency. Tanya deserves to be celebrated, not cruelly cast out. Draggan too. It\u2019s been heartbreaking.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe three correspondents may see themselves as guardians of the \u201c60 Minutes\u201d journalistic tradition, says one CBS News staffer. And there may also be economic issues at play. \u201cThere is a feeling of responsibility that people remaining at the show have, regardless of their personal situations, to get things on track, so that everybody can keep doing work that matters, and, let\u2019s be adults, keep their jobs,\u201d this person says. <\/p>\n