Scott Pelley Fired From CBS’s ‘60 Minutes’ Amid Leadership Conflict

Veteran CBS News correspondent Scott Pelley was terminated on June 2, 2026 after a heated staff meeting in which he accused editor‑in‑chief Bari Weiss of “murdering” ‘60 Minutes’ and criticized the program’s new executive producer Nick Bilton for lacking qualifications. Bilton’s termination letter called Pelley’s conduct “incivility and contempt” and said his employment was ended “for cause” effective immediately.

The firings are part of a broader overhaul at CBS News following Paramount’s acquisition by Skydance Media. Earlier in the week, executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega were also let go. CBS officials say the changes are intended to modernise the long‑running newsmagazine, while Pelley and some former colleagues allege pressure to inject “falsehoods and bias” into stories and political interference.

CBS staffer Tony Dokoupil paid tribute to Pelley on the CBS Evening News, praising his commitment to press freedom. Weiss said the network attempted to reconcile with Pelley but “were not able to do so,” a claim Pelley disputes. Speculation continues that other senior correspondents, such as Lesley Stahl and Bill Whitaker, may also leave amid the turmoil.