Guy Campanile, a former producer and managing editor at CBS's "60 Minutes," said in a social media post Tuesday that network leaders pushed staff to compromise their journalistic principles, including by incorporating White House talking points into reporting and conducting interviews arranged by the administration.
Campanile, who was fired earlier this year, wrote that he and his colleagues "refused to be accomplices in the destruction of the most prestigious news program on American television." He said they objected to instructions to conduct interviews arranged by the administration and insisted on asking challenging questions to business and political leaders "without fear or favor."
"We did what reporters worth their salt do — we questioned authority...including our own bosses," Campanile wrote in a private Facebook post. "To be clear — we were told to leave because we insisted on doing our jobs."
Campanile was one of several people fired from the network in May, along with executive producer Tanya Simon, executive editor Draggan Mihailovich, senior producer Matthew Polevoy, and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega. The firings were part of an ongoing reorganization of the long-running news program led by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who joined CBS News in 2024.
Though Campanile did not name anyone behind his firing, he criticized what he called "self-described influencers and on-line opinionists" who have been given control of major reporting institutions, including CBS News. He argued that many of these newsroom managers lack experience covering poverty, war, or disaster, yet make programming decisions based on what might trend online.
"Making matters worse is the cadre of self-described influencers and on-line opinionists who market themselves as 'journalists,'" he wrote. "Many of these newsroom managers have never been exposed to the depths of poverty, the ravages of war or the heartbreak of disaster. Yet these dilettantes and their enablers make critical programming decisions based on what might trend on-line over the next few hours."
A CBS News spokesperson declined to comment but pointed to past statements insisting that accusations from former employees were not true. The network has previously denied claims of political interference in the program's editorial decisions.
Campanile's post came ahead of the latest season premiere of "60 Minutes" on Sunday. He wrote that he refuses to stay silent while media trust is "wrecked," and offered encouragement to former colleagues still at the network: "Hold the line. Don't give an inch because they will keep scraping away until there's nothing left worth a damn."
"60 Minutes" has produced several stories critical of the Trump administration, including interviews with farmers who criticized Trump's tariffs and conversations with progressive American cardinals who opposed his immigration policies. The program has faced scrutiny from conservative critics who have accused it of liberal bias.
Longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent Scott Pelley was also fired shortly after Campanile following a clash with Weiss and executive producer Nick Bilton over the direction of the series. The departures have raised questions about the future of the program, which has been a staple of American broadcast journalism since its debut in 1968.
When asked for comment, Campanile told Fox News Digital that his private Facebook post was intended for friends and family, not public consumption. The post was later shared by reporters who obtained access to it.