Scott Pelley Fired from 60 Minutes, Says Management Ordered Him to Inject Bias
7 verified3 unconfirmed
Scott Pelley, a veteran correspondent for CBS’s “60 Minutes,” was fired on Tuesday after a heated argument with incoming executive producer Nick Bilton. In a statement, Pelley accused new management of “incompetence and unprofessionalism” and said he was instructed to inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story. He also claimed that politicians were allowed to choose correspondents for interviews and that the program came within 19 minutes of not airing due to mismanagement. Pelley is the fourth journalist to leave the show since February, following the departures of correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, as well as senior producers. Bilton wrote in a note to staff that Pelley had hijacked his first meeting to disparage him and that he tried to find common ground but Pelley did not choose that path. Pelley expressed gratitude for his 37-year career at CBS but described the current leadership as untenable and driven by an apparent effort to curry favor with the Trump administration. The show now has only three full-time correspondents: Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim.
What’s verified
Scott Pelley was fired from “60 Minutes” on Tuesday after a heated meeting with incoming executive producer Nick Bilton.
Pelley accused CBS News management of “incompetence and unprofessionalism” and said he was instructed to inject falsehoods and bias into a story.
He said he was told to include unverified assertions and that politicians were allowed to choose correspondents for interviews.
Pelley claimed the entire program came within 19 minutes of not airing on one occasion due to management incompetence.
Pelley is the fourth “60 Minutes” journalist to leave since February, following Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega.
In a note, Bilton said Pelley hijacked his first meeting with staff to disparage him and his qualifications.
Pelley departed after 37 years at CBS, saying the “collapse of values at the top” had become untenable.
Not yet confirmed
Details regarding the installation of Bari Weiss at CBS in October and her role at The Free Press come from a single source.
The departure of Anderson Cooper from “60 Minutes” is mentioned by only one source.
It is unclear from the sources whether Pelley’s firing was officially classified as “for cause” or without cause, as different framings appear.
Key figures
Scott Pelley, Nick Bilton, Bari Weiss, Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega, Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, Jon Wertheim
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone
