60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley fired by CBS News after clash

Lead

CBS News has fired Scott Pelley, a longtime correspondent for its flagship program 60 Minutes, after an explosive staff meeting in which he criticized the show's new executive producer and editor-in-chief. The termination, confirmed by multiple outlets, marks the latest escalation in a leadership overhaul that has unsettled the storied news program.

Pelley's dismissal came days after CBS News's new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, initiated a series of firings and appointments that ousted the show's executive producer, executive editor, and two correspondents. The changes have triggered public criticism from veteran journalists and raised questions about the future direction of the program, which has led ratings for decades.

Coverage Comparison

The firing was reported by Al Jazeera, BBC World, France 24, The Guardian, Jerusalem Post, South China Morning Post, and The Intercept. Most outlets focused on the clash between Pelley and new management, with several quoting a termination letter from new executive producer Nick Bilton. Al Jazeera and The Guardian emphasized Pelley's accusation that Weiss was "murdering" the show, while BBC and France 24 noted the broader "turmoil" at the network.

Some reports, including from The Guardian, detailed a separate incident involving correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, whose contract was not renewed after she said she refused to "sanitize factually accurate reporting." The Guardian also reported that several dozen CBS News veterans, including former 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman and former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather, signed a letter to Paramount CEO David Ellison expressing concern about editorial independence.

Key Claims

• CBS News terminated Scott Pelley's contract on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, as reported by multiple outlets. In a termination letter, executive producer Nick Bilton wrote: "Your antipathy to the future of the show has come through loud and clear. And I have heard you." Bilton accused Pelley of hijacking a staff meeting to disparage him "with remarkable incivility and contempt."

• Pelley accused Bari Weiss of "murdering" 60 Minutes during a heated staff meeting on Monday, June 1. He was quoted as saying: "She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it and is doing exactly that." Staff reportedly gave him a standing ovation.

• Nick Bilton, the new executive producer, has no traditional broadcast news experience, according to multiple reports. He previously worked as a technology journalist and filmmaker.

• CBS News has undergone significant changes under new ownership. David Ellison, an ally of President Donald Trump, bought CBS's parent company Paramount in August 2025, as reported by BBC.

• Sharyn Alfonsi's contract was not renewed for the show's 59th season, as reported by The Guardian. Alfonsi accused CBS News of penalizing her for "refusing to sanitize factually accurate reporting" and said the network was sending "a chilling message to the entire newsroom."

• Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim announced they are staying with 60 Minutes despite the turmoil. In a joint statement, they said: "We want to stay and fight." They expressed sorrow over the firings of colleagues, saying they were "treated so shabbily, with such indecency."

• Several dozen veteran CBS News employees signed a letter to Paramount CEO David Ellison, urging him to commit to the show's editorial independence. The letter stated that "institutional trust is not transferred through ownership" and warned that the "wholesale dismissal of editorial management" puts the legacy of 60 Minutes in jeopardy.

• Pelley has alleged that Bari Weiss attempted to influence a segment about protests in Minneapolis, asking to "make the protesters look more violent" and to describe a woman's car as "driving toward the officer." Pelley said he refused to make the changes. A CBS News spokesperson told the New York Times that Weiss's suggestions had "no political motivation and were proposed solely to make the piece as strong, fair, and accurate as possible."

Perspectives

The material includes perspectives from Pelley and from CBS News management, as well as from other correspondents and former employees. Their statements are summarized below.

Scott Pelley

Pelley, who spent 37 years at CBS News, said in a statement after his firing that the new owner of the network was "casting this legend aside, apparently to curry a moment of favor with the Trump administration." He claimed that new management instructed him "to inject falsehoods and bias" into a politically sensitive story and that he was told "to include assertions that are unverified." He described the leadership changes as "incompetence and unprofessionalism" that have "wreaked havoc."

CBS News Management

In the termination letter, Nick Bilton wrote that Pelley's conduct in the staff meeting was unacceptable and that he had made multiple attempts to have direct conversations with Pelley but could not find common ground. Bilton said: "That was not the path Scott chose." A CBS News spokesperson disputed Pelley's characterization of Weiss's editorial suggestions, saying they were aimed at improving the piece's accuracy.

Other 60 Minutes Correspondents

Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim said they were "deeply upset by the firings" of Tanya Simon and Draggan Mihailovich, describing them as "strong leaders who everyone respected." They called the firings unjustified, saying no explanation had been offered, and added: "Newsrooms are not supposed to run like dictatorships."

Veterans of CBS News

In a letter to Paramount CEO David Ellison, dozens of CBS News veterans urged him to "send a clear message to your staff, your viewers, and the broader public that you respect and value editorial independence and press freedom." They warned that the "wholesale dismissal of editorial management" without a public pledge to maintain the show's values "puts the legacy of 60 Minutes in jeopardy."