Rick Oppenheim

Seasoned, energetic PR professional with a passion for causes and creative expression.

[Dylan Byers @DylanByers]

New statement from Scott Pelley:

There has never been anything in America like 60 Minutes.

The Sunday tradition is the most successful program of any kind in history. For more than a decade, its innovative growth on every major online platform has extended its reach to countless millions around the world. This spring, at the end of our 58thseason, 60 Minutes grew rapidly with an unheard-of 9% jump in viewers on CBS.

“60” has been the number-one program in America for decades because our beloved audience finds integrity, quality, and humanity in our stories. When stewardship of the program passed to my colleagues and me, our responsibility was to expand energetically into a new age of media technology while preserving the values our audience expects. Now, the new owner of our network is casting this legend aside, apparently to curry a moment of favor with the Trump administration.

The waste is heartbreaking.

Last month, 60 Minutes lost its DNA when our entire senior leadership and two of our best on-air correspondents were cruelly fired without cause. Good people were silenced because they stood up for our audience. They stood for fairness against the forces of political bias; they stood for professionalism against chaos.

For my part, new management has instructed me to inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story. I’ve been told to include assertions that are unverified. To date, in every case, I have managed to ignore these instructions or refuse them. Recently, politicians have been invited to choose correspondents for interviews on the broadcast. Giving politicians control over 60 Minutes interviews is not how this is done. Finally, incompetence and unprofessionalism in the new management have wreaked havoc. In a case involving one of my stories, the entire program came within 19 minutes of not getting on the air at all.

At 60 Minutes, we have fought harder than anyone knows to save the program that became an American icon. We owed that to our millions of viewers. I am deeply moved by the thousands of wishes we have received to “keep up the good fight.” Most of the men and women of CBS News are still in that fight. But now the collapse of values at the top has become untenable. The leadership of 60 Minutes is no longer recognizable. The principles I hold dear are gone, and so I must leave as well.

I depart after 37 years at CBS with one emotion—a heart brimming with gratitude for the men and women of CBS News who encouraged and enriched my work, very often at the risk of their own lives. I pray for a day when those people and their ideals are honored again—a day when sanity, competence, and courage return.

Scott Pelley

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

@HQNewsNow Yes, he’s right, “treating stupid is really hard” — especially when it comes to idiot fake reporters from fake media outlets. How the hell did “LindellTV” get press credentials and access to the White House Press Room. So incredibly absurd.

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

@JimmyPatronis @ByronDonalds @ByronWarRoom Byron Donalds is a rightwing extremist, an arrogant opportunist and a partisan political hack. He is the worst possible choice for our next governor.

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

@HQNewsNow Those CBS/Paramount toadies couldn’t leave the “Thank you, Stephen” part? Assholes.

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

@RealAshlar NO! And by inserting the word “rightfully” in your comment, you’ve destroyed any credibility your “survey” may have.

[CALL TO ACTIVISM @CalltoActivism]

🚨WTF. This is a MAJOR blunder.

While answering questions from reporters, Trump says “he doesn’t think about Americans’ financial situations.”

This clip is single handedly the greatest gift that could possibly be handed to Midterm Democrats.

[Governor Newsom Press Office @GovPressOffice]

Sean Duffy is a total disgrace!

Multiple air accidents happened on his watch — and instead of doing his job, he’s been busy filming a reality TV show on the taxpayer’s dime.

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

@RealFrankFromFL Not a chance. Not in 2028 or any election thereafter for any office whatsoever.

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

@fineout @GovRonDeSantis If true, there’s no way in hell he wouldn’t have briefed Florida’s Trump-sucking governor on it — as well as take credit in the media. I call bullshot.

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

Red states can do it by fiat but voter-endorsed redistricting can be killed by GOP-stacked courts. This is outright theft and election manipulation.

[Headquarters @HQNewsNow]

Gov. @SpanbergerForVA responds to the Virginia Supreme Court overturning the will of the people:

“...the majority of Virginia voters voted to push back against a President who said he is ‘entitled’ to more Republican seats in Congress with a temporary and responsive referendum... I am disappointed by the Supreme Court of Virginia’s ruling"

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

@sullivan36334 @BlackwoodBrief @EricTrump @realDonaldTrump

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

@LucasSa56947288 Yes.

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

Hey, Bari, your bias is showing — again. This is why I’ve switched to @ABC after being a loyal @CBSNews junkie for 50 years. CBS is in Trump’s pocket. New slogan: “All propaganda all the time.”

[Mark Green @ShadowingDC]

Weiss wants war...yet earlier wanted CBS to hear from all sides on issues. So weird today that only pro-war Trumpers on its evening news.

U.S. is a day away from a President saying and corporate news reporting MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Can't wait for Sunday news shows...

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

He may try, but he will fail. And it will mark the end of his presidency (or the end of the U.S. as a democracy).

[Headquarters @HQNewsNow]

Donald Trump is reportedly considering issuing an executive order declaring a “national emergency” to give himself unprecedented powers over elections.

The order could allow him to interfere with voting ahead of the midterm elections.

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

@stilldemocrat @GovPressOffice Maybe someone needs to tell him that it will be a ratings bonanza — even higher than anything Obama or Biden ever got. Plus, he’ll be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize posthumously.

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

@JimRosicaFL @USATODAY AND the record for most lies in a #SOTU speech, breaking his own record.

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

I hope legislators will read this before passing any bills to rename any airports after Trump:

https://t.co/lLHKJ9dKH1

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

@Jason_Garcia @JimRosicaFL This should kill the bill to rename the airport — unless Florida legislators WANT the state and/or Palm Beach County to pay Trump royalties for using his name there.

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

@AmyA1A I hope legislators read this before passing any bills to rename WPB airport after Trump.

https://t.co/lLHKJ9dKH1

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

@PETEKEELEY @Jason_Garcia @JimRosicaFL It’s all about the merchandising. And lining Trump’s pockets.

[Rick Oppenheim @RickOpp]

This should kill the bill to rename the airport — unless Florida legislators WANT the state and/or Palm Beach County to pay Trump royalties for using his name there. Hmmmm.

[Jason Garcia @Jason_Garcia]

Donald Trump's company has apparently filed to trademark President Donald J. Trump International Airport just as Florida's Republican-controlled Legislature is about to pass a bill renaming Palm Beach International Airport after him.