Scott Pelley says CBS News managers pushed falsehoods after 60 Minutes firing
NEW YORK, 3 June 2026 — CBS News fired longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley after a confrontation with new programme leadership, the Associated Press reported. Pelley then accused CBS managers, in a public statement reported by The Guardian and The Hollywood Reporter, of trying to put falsehoods, bias and unverified assertions into a politically sensitive story. CBS leadership, according to AP, framed the dismissal as a breakdown of trust and workplace conduct.
The case matters because 60 Minutes is one of the most influential US television news brands. AP reports that the firing followed earlier removals of senior producers and correspondents, making the dispute a test of whether a legacy newsroom can modernise without losing staff confidence in editorial independence.
Scott Pelley is a veteran American broadcast journalist who joined CBS in 1989, anchored CBS Evening News from 2011 to 2017 and became one of the best-known correspondents on 60 Minutes. The dispute centres on CBS News, its parent Paramount Skydance, CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and new 60 Minutes executive producer Nick Bilton.
Background
AP notes that 60 Minutes first aired in 1968 and built its reputation on investigative interviews and accountability reporting. The current conflict follows a broader ownership and leadership reset at CBS News after Paramount Skydance took control and installed Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief in 2025.
Impact
Regional — For Belgium, the direct impact is limited. The relevance is mainly for Belgian readers who follow US politics, media ownership and international news standards, and for EU institutions in Brussels that track editorial independence as part of democratic resilience.
Opposing perspectives
- Scott Pelley and departing 60 Minutes staff
Pelley says the new management wreaked havoc at 60 Minutes and accused CBS News leadership of trying to add falsehoods, bias and unverified assertions to reporting. Former and dismissed staff cited by AP and The Guardian frame the dispute as a loss of editorial independence.
- CBS News leadership under Bari Weiss and Nick Bilton
CBS leadership presents the firing as a conduct and trust issue. AP reported that Weiss told staff she wanted a newsroom built on trust and respect, while Bilton's termination notice accused Pelley of hostility during a first staff meeting.
- Remaining 60 Minutes correspondents
Lesley Stahl, Jon Wertheim and Bill Whitaker told staff they were angry and grieving over the firings but would stay for now, AP reported. Their position is conditional: they said they would remain if the programme can keep doing independent journalism.
Sources & evidence
- Associated Press · 2026-06-03
- The Guardian · 2026-06-03
- Associated Press · 2026-06-03
- Associated Press · 2026-06-05
- European Commission · 2026-06-22
- The Hollywood Reporter · 2026-06-03