After being fired from 60 Minutes on June 2, Scott Pelley is calling for the removal of CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, intensifying pressure on the network’s leadership following a turbulent overhaul of the storied newsmagazine.
Quick Facts
- Pelley was terminated after a heated staff meeting where he criticized Weiss and new executive producer Nick Bilton.
- Weiss fired executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi at the end of May.
- Pelley said in his first interview since the firing that CBS News “is on fire” and management showed “political influence” in editorial decisions.
- The 37-year CBS veteran accused Weiss of lacking television experience and management skills for a large news organization.
In an exclusive interview with The New York Times published Sunday, Pelley said Weiss should be removed from her position. “My hope is that the leadership of Paramount will say to themselves, this isn’t working,” he stated, referring to CBS’s parent company.
Pelley’s firing came one day after a contentious all-staff meeting in which he clashed with Nick Bilton, the new executive producer Weiss installed to run 60 Minutes. Bilton justified the termination, saying Pelley’s “performative display of hostility” showed “you have no interest in contributing to the future success of the show.”
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The veteran correspondent told The Times that Weiss was “putting a thumb on the scale” on behalf of the Trump administration. He cited a February 1 report on an ICE crackdown in Minneapolis, saying Weiss sent notes to former executive producer Tanya Simon “about four hours after our deadline” that were aligned with Trump’s portrayal of the shootings. A CBS News spokesperson denied the allegation, saying the feedback “had no political motivation.”
Pelley characterized Weiss as well-intentioned but fundamentally unfit for her role. “She’s a lovely person,” he said, “but television’s not her thing. She brings an ideology into CBS News where that is just anathema. It’s a terrible fit.”
The crisis at 60 Minutes reflects broader tensions between Weiss’s vision for modernizing the program and the newsmagazine’s traditional culture of editorial independence. Weiss, who took over as editor-in-chief in late 2025, has argued that the show needs outside energy and new thinking to survive a changing media landscape. But veteran staff members have defended the program’s 9% ratings growth last season and questioned why management would overhaul a successful operation.
Pelley is not the only voice demanding change. Former 60 Minutes correspondent Armen Keteyian wrote on social media after the interview: “Incredible. Scott spoke for everyone in the family, past and present. Every last word.”
Sources
- CNN — Scott Pelley’s interview with The New York Times, his call for Weiss’s removal, and details of the editorial interference claim.
- The New York Times — Pelley’s exclusive interview on the Bari Weiss era and his firing, his characterization of Weiss’s qualifications.
- NBC News — CBS News firing Scott Pelley and details of the all-staff meeting confrontation.
- BBC — Confirmation of Pelley’s firing and the broader turmoil at CBS News under Weiss’s leadership.
