Veteran journalist Scott Pelley has been fired by CBS News following a public confrontation with the new leadership team overseeing “60 Minutes,” escalating a growing civil war inside one of America’s most influential television news programs.
Pelley, a CBS News fixture since 1989 and a “60 Minutes” correspondent since 2004, was terminated Tuesday, just one day after a heated staff meeting in which he accused CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss of “murdering” the iconic newsmagazine. Multiple news organizations confirmed Pelley’s firing and the circumstances surrounding it.
Showdown Erupts During Staff Meeting
The confrontation occurred during an introductory meeting for newly appointed “60 Minutes” executive producer Nick Bilton.
According to Mediaite, Pelley challenged Bilton’s qualifications to lead the program and criticized recent decisions made by network leadership. He also directed sharp criticism at Weiss, who has overseen a sweeping restructuring of CBS News since taking over as editor-in-chief.
During the exchange, Pelley accused Weiss of “murdering” the oldest and most-watched television newsmagazine and argued that recent personnel decisions were undermining the program’s journalistic mission. The remarks reportedly drew applause from some staff members in attendance.
Firing Came One Day Later
On Tuesday evening, Bilton informed Pelley that CBS News was terminating his employment immediately.
Bilton cited Pelley’s conduct during the meeting and described his behavior as hostile and incompatible with the future direction of the program. CBS characterized the dismissal as being “for cause.”
The firing marks the end of a nearly four-decade career at CBS for Pelley, who previously served as anchor of the “CBS Evening News” and became one of the America’s most recognizable journalists.
Turmoil Engulfs ‘60 Minutes’
Pelley’s departure comes amid a broader upheaval at CBS News.
In recent days, CBS leadership has removed executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega. Earlier this year, Anderson Cooper announced plans to leave the program as well. The changes have fueled concerns among current and former employees about the future direction of the network’s flagship news program.
Dozens of former CBS News journalists recently signed a letter urging network leadership to protect the editorial independence of “60 Minutes,” warning that recent management decisions risk damaging the show’s credibility and reputation.
Battle Over The Future Of CBS News
The dispute unfolds against the backdrop of major changes at CBS parent company Paramount following its merger with Skydance Media.
Weiss and Bilton have argued that CBS News must adapt to a changing media landscape and broaden its editorial approach. Critics inside the newsroom contend that recent changes are politically motivated and threaten the culture that made “60 Minutes” one of the most respected news programs in television history.
In a public statement, Pelley said the leadership of “60 Minutes” was “no longer recognizable” and accused management of abandoning the principles that built the program’s reputation:
Statement of 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 58th season, 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
For CBS News, the firing represents the latest — and most dramatic — chapter in a newsroom battle that shows no signs of ending soon.
READ NEXT: This Story Starts With Star Wars Legos And Ends With The Constitution
I am GLAD Scott Pelley Was FIRED. He Thinks Since He Was CORRUPTING The News for for 37 Years, He Can Do What He Wants. Good Riddance.