Cecilia Vega, a veteran TV news correspondent fired from 60 Minutes on Thursday, released a pointed statement saying she fears for the future of the long-running newsmagazine.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Vega was terminated along with fellow correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi and executive producer Tanya Simon. The firings were carried out by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who also hired veteran journalist Nick Bilton as the show's new executive producer.
In her statement, Vega said that "in recent months, my producing teams and I have experienced efforts to insert political bias into our stories," though she did not specify what that involved. She added that reporting teams had "held back on submitting story pitches about important news topics out of fear of the internal repercussions."
She went further in her characterization of the situation. "Let's call this what it is: censorship, both imposed and self-driven," she said. "It is dangerous for the show and dangerous for democracy."
Vega also addressed her own conduct during the period leading up to her dismissal. "I held the line and refused to incorporate suggestions that offend the conscience, a phrase I borrow from a colleague who has also fought to keep questionable editorial suggestions away from the facts," she said. "I know from many conversations with colleagues that many producing teams and correspondents working on the show today have had to fight to maintain editorial independence with regularity. I am far from the only 60 Minutes correspondent who has asked herself, 'What is my personal red line? How much can I push back before I pay the price?'"
CBS News responded to her claims directly. A spokesperson said: "We respect Ms. Vega and her contributions, but her claims are not based in reality."
Vega joined 60 Minutes three years ago after leaving ABC News. Her departure comes as the show undergoes what has been described as a major overhaul under Weiss.
