CBS News and 60 Minutes leadership sent staff a congratulatory memo ahead of the flagship programme's season 59 premiere on Sunday, thanking teams for their support through a turbulent summer. The gesture follows months of upheaval at the show, driven by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, which saw several senior figures depart voluntarily or by force amid claims of editorial interference.

The memo, sent by executive producer Nick Bilton, Weiss and CBS News president Tom Cibrowski, praised the newsroom's "revelatory stories" and thanked social, digital and investigative teams for their efforts. It comes after departed managing editor Guy Campanile said he and colleagues were fired for refusing to let unverified claims or White House talking points into their reporting. Veteran correspondents including Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, Jon Wertheim and Norah O'Donnell return for the new season, which premieres at 7:30pm ET/PT with segments on Donald Trump's use of presidential pardons, the Los Angeles Rams, and an interview with a US pilot rescued in Iran.