Key facts
- Scott Pelley was fired from '60 Minutes' after 37 years at CBS News.
- Pelley described the changes under new leadership as a 'Black Thursday massacre'.
- He criticized the new executive producer, Nick Bilton, for an 'insulting' email and 'tone-deaf' meeting.
- Pelley alleged leadership pushed for 'falsehoods and bias' in a news report.
- He expressed deep emotional distress and a broken sense of trust with remaining colleagues.
Scott Pelley, a veteran correspondent for CBS News' '60 Minutes', has detailed his unexpected and emotional departure from the program in an interview with The New York Times. Pelley described being called into a meeting with CBS News President Tom Cibrowski and editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, where he was fired after only 10 minutes, an outcome he claims he did not foresee.
Pelley characterized the sweeping changes made by Weiss, including the replacement of executive producer Tanya Simon with former tech columnist Nick Bilton, as a 'Black Thursday massacre.' He expressed profound distress over the dismissals of his colleagues, comparing the experience to a personal tragedy and highlighting the tight-knit, familial bonds among the '60 Minutes' staff, some of whom he has worked with for decades.
He further criticized the new leadership, calling Bilton's introductory email to the staff 'insulting' and describing Bilton's demeanor during the dismissal meeting as 'tone-deaf' for reading a statement from his phone to a room of 'heartbroken people.' Pelley also alleged that Weiss pushed for 'falsehoods and bias' in a news report concerning confrontations with federal immigration agents, suggesting a level of political influence he had not previously encountered in his 37 years at CBS.
Pelley stated that trust has been broken and he has not spoken to fellow correspondents Lesley Stahl, Jon Wertheim, and Bill Whitaker, who have chosen to stay with the program for now. He also speculated that Anderson Cooper's decision not to renew his contract was influenced by the new leadership.