CBS News has terminated veteran "60 Minutes" correspondent Scott Pelley, a decision made amidst internal debate concerning the newsmagazine's editorial direction and allegations of political influence. Nick Bilton, the newly appointed executive producer of "60 Minutes," informed Pelley of his immediate termination for cause in a letter reviewed by CNBC.
Pelley had previously stated, according to NBC News, that Bari Weiss, the editor-in-chief of CBS News, was "murdering" "60 Minutes." In a statement obtained by MS Now, Pelley asserted that the network was attempting to "curry a moment of favor with the Trump administration," describing the situation as "heartbreaking waste." This situation highlights internal discussions regarding editorial independence under new corporate leadership.
This leadership change at CBS follows the merger of Skydance and Paramount last year, which introduced new management to CBS and other Paramount properties, including the storied film studio and its streaming business. David Ellison, CEO of Skydance and Paramount, is reportedly pursuing a merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that would require regulatory approval from the Trump administration.
Further complicating matters, in 2024, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump initiated a lawsuit against "60 Minutes," alleging the program deceptively edited an interview with his opponent, Kamala Harris. Paramount subsequently settled this lawsuit for $16 million, a resolution that reportedly displeased some veteran "60 Minutes" employees, including Pelley. Another notable anchor, Anderson Cooper, also announced his departure from the show earlier this month.
In his statement, Pelley also made serious allegations against the new management. He claimed he had been instructed to "inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story" and to include "assertions that are unverified." He stated that he had, to date, managed to either ignore or refuse these instructions. He also noted that politicians had recently been invited to choose correspondents for interviews on the broadcast, a practice he criticized.
Leadership Transition and Conflicting Accounts
Nick Bilton, a former New York Times technology columnist with experience producing documentaries for HBO and Netflix, assumed the role of executive producer for "60 Minutes." He replaced Tanya Simon, who had served the show for more than two decades before her ousting last week. According to an NBC News report, Pelley conveyed to Bilton during a Monday meeting that he possessed "slender qualifications" for the executive producer position, given Bilton's lack of prior experience running a television news program.
In his statement, Pelley lamented the changes, saying, "The leadership of '60 Minutes' is no longer recognizable." He added that the principles he holds dear were gone, leading to his departure after 37 years at CBS. Pelley expressed gratitude for his colleagues at CBS News, acknowledging their encouragement and enrichment of his work, very often at the risk of their own lives. He noted his heart was "brimming with gratitude" for them.
Bilton, in an interview on May 28 with CNBC, affirmed his commitment to demonstrating that his appointment was not a politically motivated maneuver. "I will prove it with the work," Bilton stated, emphasizing his dedication to holding those in power accountable.
In a Tuesday editorial call with CBS staffers, Bari Weiss stated she is "only interested in working in a newsroom that is built on trust and mutual respect," according to a transcript obtained by CNBC. Weiss added that "That foundation was broken on Monday, and despite our attempts to engage with Scott Pelley and to find a way back, unfortunately we weren't able to do so, and so we had to part ways." CBS News President Tom Cibrowski also expressed that the organization "will miss Scott very much."
In a subsequent statement obtained by MS Now, Pelley disputed Weiss's account of the situation, asserting that "no constructive dialogue was allowed by the CBS executives at any point."
Pelley's full statement detailed his concerns about the program's future. He highlighted "60 Minutes" as a unique American institution, noting its success, including a 9% jump in viewers on CBS at the end of its 58th season. He expressed that the new ownership was "casting this legend aside, apparently to curry a moment of favor with the Trump administration." He also mentioned that "60 Minutes" lost its "DNA" when senior leadership and two correspondents were "cruelly fired without cause" the previous month, alleging they were silenced for standing up for fairness against political bias and for professionalism against chaos.
Pelley further claimed that "incompetence and unprofessionalism in the new management have wreaked havoc," citing a case where an entire program nearly failed to air, coming within 19 minutes of not making it. He concluded his statement by expressing a prayer for a day when "sanity, competence, and courage return" to the organization.
