Three veteran correspondents at CBS News' "60 Minutes" said they remain committed to the long-running newsmagazine despite concerns about recent leadership changes, warning in a memo to colleagues that they would leave if the program can no longer produce independent journalism.

In a memo obtained by Axios, correspondents Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim said they chose to remain at the program because they do not want to see "60 Minutes" disappear, even as they continue to object to recent management decisions.

"Newsrooms are not supposed to be run like dictatorships," the correspondents wrote. "Collaboration and argument are the way we have always worked at 60."

The trio said they worried that returning to work could be interpreted as support for the program's current leadership.

"We feared that our returning might be construed as an endorsement of the existing power structure. That is simply, categorically not the case," they wrote.

The correspondents said they remain "still deeply upset" over the firings of former Executive Producer Tanya Simon and Executive Editor Draggan Mihailovich, two longtime figures associated with the program.

At the same time, Stahl, Whitaker, and Wertheim said they're trying to work with Nick Bilton, who was recently installed as executive producer.

The appointment has been a hot-button issue. Correspondent Scott Pelley publicly criticized Bilton's qualifications for the role, saying he was poorly suited to lead the iconic news program. 

Pelley was fired Tuesday, a day after he reportedly said CBS News head Bari Weiss was "murdering the show" and accused Bilton of having "slender qualifications" for the job.

The move deepened the turmoil at the nation's most influential TV news program, days after a leadership overhaul.

Despite their concerns, the correspondents said they are trying to establish a working relationship with Bilton and preserve the editorial standards that have defined "60 Minutes" for decades.

The correspondents said their continued presence at the program depends on whether it can maintain its journalistic mission.

"If we can continue doing the work that made this show what it is — committing acts of independent, fearless journalism and storytelling — we're here for it," they wrote. "If not, we leave."