CBS' anti-leak memo leaks immediately, exposing ongoing 60 Minutes chaos

CBS News' efforts to restore order inside its scandal-plagued 60 Minutes newsroom suffered an immediate embarrassment after executive producer Nick Bilton's internal memo urging staff to stop leaking information was itself leaked to the press.

Bilton, who took over the legendary news magazine following a sweeping overhaul led by CBS News chief Bari Weiss, reportedly sent staff a 734-word memo complaining about the constant stream of rumors and confidential information making its way into the media. "Since I started here there has been roughly a rumor a day," Bilton wrote in the memo. "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 the patience for them, and I'd rather we spend that energy on the stories," he continued, urging employees to bring concerns directly to him rather than speaking to reporters. Instead, the memo itself quickly found its way into the press, underscoring the deep divisions that continue to plague one of America's most famous television news programs. The latest leak comes as 60 Minutes attempts to move beyond months of internal turmoil following the arrival of Bari Weiss as CBS News editor-in-chief and Bilton as executive producer.

Weiss has faced fierce resistance from some veteran staff after being brought in by Paramount leadership to reshape CBS News, with critics accusing the network of attempting to broaden its editorial perspective following years of criticism over perceived political bias. The upheaval culminated in June when longtime correspondent Scott Pelley was fired after a heated confrontation with Bilton during his first staff meeting. Pelley reportedly accused Weiss of "murdering" 60 Minutes and told Bilton he possessed only "slender qualifications" for the role.

Veteran correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi also departed after clashing with Weiss over editorial decisions, while several senior producers have exited during the network's ongoing restructuring. Adding to the intrigue, newly hired senior global affairs correspondent Sir Trevor Phillips suggested Weiss faced an all-or-nothing future at the network. "The great thing about her is that she's one of those people who will either change the world or crash and burn," Phillips said. "But when they crash and burn, it's in technicolor."

Phillips rejected attempts to portray Weiss simply as an "anti-woke" figure, arguing that her goal was to create a newsroom with a broader range of viewpoints. "In the US, the controversy has been framed as, 'CBS News is becoming anti-woke.' But that's not what Bari is about," he said. "Her point is that the media should be heterodox. There should be a variety of voices."

Despite the ongoing turmoil, Bilton sought to reassure staff that 60 Minutes remained capable of reclaiming its position at the top of American television journalism ahead of its 59th season premiere in September. "What's already in the works is extraordinary," Bilton wrote. "For 58 seasons this show has come back in the fall and made people stop what they were doing to watch the greatest team in journalism hold power to account."