Scott Pelley fired from CBS after criticizing network leadership

Veteran journalist Scott Pelley, a 37‑year CBS veteran and former ‘60 Minutes’ correspondent, was dismissed on June 2 2026 after openly criticizing CBS News boss Bari Weiss and newly appointed ‘60 Minutes’ executive producer Nick Bilton. In a statement he said the leadership of ‘60 Minutes’ was “no longer recognizable” and that the principles he valued were gone.

Pelley alleged that new management instructed him to insert falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story and claimed the network was trying to curry favor with the Trump administration. He also warned that CBS owner David Ellison’s pending $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery could be influencing editorial direction. The firing was announced by Bilton as “with cause,” describing Pelley’s conduct as a “performative display of hostility.”

The incident has sparked debate about journalistic independence at major U.S. news outlets and highlighted tensions within CBS amid broader media realignments.