Scott Pelley, a veteran journalist with 60 Minutes, recently parted ways with the iconic news program following a clash with its new leadership. Bari Weiss, the newly appointed editor-in-chief at CBS News, has instigated several changes that have shaken up the beloved show. Pelley is not the only casualty of these changes; several producers have also been dismissed.
Scott Pelley recently lost his job at ‘60 Minutes’
Pelley’s departure marks the end of his longstanding tenure with 60 Minutes. His exit reportedly stemmed from tensions with executive producer Nick Bilton regarding the direction the program was taking under new leadership. In his statement after the firing, Pelley voiced his disapproval of the show’s evolving ethos.
“60 Minutes has been America’s top program for decades because our cherished audience values the integrity, quality, and humanity in our stories,” Pelley stated in a message shared with MS Now. “Our duty, when we took charge, was to boldly embrace the new age of media technology while upholding the values our audience holds dear. Now, the new network owner seems to be discarding this legacy, perhaps to gain favor with the Trump administration.”
Pelley also alleged that the new management encouraged the inclusion of falsehoods in his reporting and granted politicians too much influence over interviews. He was outspoken about his discontent with the dismissals of others in the team.
“Last month, 60 Minutes lost its essence when our entire senior leadership and two of our finest on-air correspondents were heartlessly fired without just cause,” Pelley commented. “Dedicated individuals were silenced for defending our audience. They championed fairness against political bias and upheld professionalism amidst chaos.”
“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,” he said. “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.”
Pelley concluded his statement by expressing hope that “sanity, competence, and courage return” to the program.
Sharyn Alfonsi lost her job after a fight over a ‘60 Minutes’ segment
Before Pelley lost his job, correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi was fired. Alfonsi reported on El Salvador’s CECOT prison, and Weiss pulled the story just hours before its airtime. It eventually aired on Jan. 18 after it mistakenly streamed on the Global TV app.
“Over the weekend, my contract with CBS News expired, drawing to a close nearly twenty years with the network, including more than a decade at ’60 Minutes,’” Alfonsi said in a statement to The Los Angeles Times. “Following an intense editorial dispute over our CECOT story, repeated attempts by my representation to establish a path forward were met with absolute silence from network executives. The message could not be clearer: my time at 60 Minutes is apparently over.”
Cecilia Vega said she worries about the future of the program
Cecilia Vega was also fired, alongside a number of other staffers. Vega said her contract with 60 Minutes ran through next March. In a statement obtained by Deadline, Vega said she has “the utmost respect and admiration for my colleagues at 60 Minutes and the stories that air every Sunday. But I very much fear what comes next for and the future of the legendary broadcast.”
She echoed Pelley’s claims that he was asked to include political biases in his reporting.
“In recent months, my producing teams and I have experienced efforts to insert political bias into our stories,” he said. “Reporting teams have held back on submitting story pitches about important news topics out of fear of the internal repercussions. Let’s call this what it is: censorship, both imposed and self-driven. It is dangerous for the show and dangerous for democracy.”
Both Vega and Alfonsi have backed Pelley after his firing.