A Letter to Scott Pelley

Dear Scott,

This is Ben Meiselas, co-founder of the MeidasTouch Network.

I’ve watched the reports about what happened at CBS and 60 Minutes, and I wanted to reach out directly.

The easiest thing in media is to stay quiet. The easiest thing is to keep your head down, protect your position, and tell yourself that someone else will speak up. What takes courage is standing in a room, saying what you believe, and accepting the consequences that may follow.

For decades, your work helped define what television journalism could be at its best. That’s not something a corporate memo can erase. It’s not something a termination letter can erase. And it’s certainly not something that changes because you challenged leadership when you believed the future of an institution was at stake.

What struck me most in reading these reports was the apparent disconnect between the values that built 60 Minutes and the values now being imposed upon it. The journalists, producers, staff, and correspondents who made that program great did so because they believed journalism mattered more than corporate politics or appeasing a fascist regime.

That’s why this moment feels bigger than one person or one contract.

At MeidasTouch, we’ve built something very different. We don’t ask journalists to stay silent. We don’t ask them to pull punches. We don’t ask them to trade independence for access. We believe audiences are hungry for fearless reporting and authentic voices. And we never bow down to the fascist regime that is destroying our country (and the world).

So while others may be trying to close a chapter, I suspect this is actually the beginning of a new one.

And if you’re looking for a place that values journalistic independence, integrity, and the courage to speak your mind, we’d love to talk.

The future belongs to those willing to fight for it.

Respectfully,

Ben Meiselas

Co-Founder, MeidasTouch