Scott Pelley Says CBS News ‘On Fire’ After Being Fired Over 60 Minutes Dispute

Former CBS News correspondent Scott Pelley was terminated from the flagship program 60 Minutes after a heated staff meeting in which he accused the new editor‑in‑chief, Bari Weiss, and the newly hired executive producer, Nick Bilton, of injecting political bias and “falsehoods” into a story about ICE‑related protests in Minneapolis. In his first interview since the dismissal, conducted by The New York Times host Lulu Garcia‑Navarro, Pelley described CBS News as “on fire” and said, “My hope is that the leadership of Paramount will say to themselves, this isn’t working.” He alleged that Weiss was “putting a thumb on the scale” for the Trump administration and demanded her removal, while also noting recent staff cuts that included executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi.

CBS News officials rejected the allegations, stating that editorial changes were standard procedural edits and that there was no political interference. FCC Chair Brendan Carr publicly criticized Pelley, calling him “completely out of touch,” and comedian Bill Maher dismissed the claim that 60 Minutes had become a partisan outlet. The controversy has sparked broader debate over newsroom independence, corporate management changes at Paramount, and the future of a long‑standing news institution.

Pelley’s comments have been echoed by several former staff members and have drawn attention from media analysts, but CBS maintains that the restructuring is aimed at adapting the program to a streaming‑driven media landscape.