In a surprising turn of events, CBS News has parted ways with Scott Pelley, a veteran correspondent of the renowned “60 Minutes” program. This decision came hot on the heels of Pelley’s outspoken criticism of Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, whom he accused of “murdering the show,” and the newly appointed producer, whose qualifications he questioned.
The dismissal has added another layer of complexity to the recent upheaval within one of the country’s most prestigious TV news platforms, following a major shake-up in leadership just days earlier. Pelley, who is 68, made his dissatisfaction clear during a charged staff meeting with Nick Bilton, the program’s fresh executive producer, brought in by Weiss the previous week, as detailed in a report by the Status website.
According to a termination letter acquired by The Associated Press, Bilton, who comes from a background in technology journalism and filmmaking but lacks traditional broadcast news experience, accused Pelley of launching an “ambush” against him during this meeting.
“Yesterday, you hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt,” Bilton expressed in the letter.
Pelley, in his defense, issued a statement asserting that “60 Minutes” has drifted away from its core values under the new management. He further alleged that he was pressured to “inject falsehoods and bias” into his reporting, although he did not provide specific instances to support his claims.
Pelley said in a statement that “60 Minutes” has lost its DNA under new management. He accused them of asking him to “inject falsehoods and bias” into his work, without sharing specific details.
Pelley is accused of a ‘performative display of hostility’
Status, which said it had a recording of the Monday meeting, reported that Pelley had said Weiss was brought in to kill the news outlet, “and she’s doing exactly that.” Weiss was not present for the meeting.
Pelley reportedly grilled Bilton about the firings last week of Bilton’s predecessor, Tanya Simon, and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega.
Alfonsi had criticized Weiss last year for postponing a segment about deportees sent to the notorious CECOT prison in El Salvador as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Pelley said in his statement that those colleagues “stood for fairness against the forces of political bias.” He also accused CEO David Ellison of casting aside the show’s reputation “apparently to curry a moment of favor with the Trump administration.” Ellison, an ally of the Republican president, has owned CBS since 2025, when its parent company, Paramount, merged with Skydance Media.
In the dismissal letter Tuesday, Bilton said Pelley’s “performative display of hostility” demonstrated that he has “no interest in contributing to the future success of the show.”
An uneasy stretch for CBS News
Since Weiss took over the network’s news operation last October, it has traveled a bumpy road.
Pelley’s termination came just five days after Weiss, who has become a polarizing figure in the media world since taking the reins, told staff in a memo that it was time for a “new approach” at the top-rated newsmagazine.
In the memo, Weiss and CBS News president Tom Cibrowski said their goal for “60 Minutes” was “building a show that thrives in the 21st century.” That could include extending the show beyond a 60-minute broadcast, they said.
“60 Minutes” first aired in 1968 and is the longest-running prime-time show in TV history. Its investigative journalism and probing interviews, sometimes with unwilling subjects, have given it the reputation of uncompromising journalism — precisely the trait that Pelley said he feared was under assault.
Pelley started working for CBS in 1989. He was its chief White House Correspondent from 1997 to 1999, during Bill Clinton’s presidency, and anchored “CBS Evening News” from 2011 to 2017. He has won 51 Emmy Awards, according to his CBS bio.
