The influence of ’60 Minutes’ on the world of journalism is immense. It ranks as the most-watched television-news program in the United States. Since its launch on CBS in 1968, it has featured prominent broadcast journalists like Mike Wallace, Ed Bradley, Lesley Stahl, Anderson Cooper, and until recently, Scott Pelley.
Scott Pelley, a veteran of the network with 37 years under his belt, has served in roles such as the White House correspondent, anchor of the ‘CBS Evening News,’ and as a correspondent for ’60 Minutes.’ His tenure ended following a series of contentious events at CBS over the past few years.
The turmoil at CBS included a financial agreement with former President Trump concerning a ’60 Minutes’ segment and the network’s sale to David Ellison. Notably, CBS appointed Bari Weiss, formerly of The New York Times Opinion staff and founder of The Free Press, to head CBS News, despite her lack of experience in television news.
Pelley’s termination occurred after Weiss dismissed several colleagues and appointed Nick Bilton as the new lead for ’60 Minutes.’ Pelley and Bilton clashed during a staff meeting. Pelley, alongside other dismissed ’60 Minutes’ correspondents, has accused Weiss of editorial interference and bias, which CBS News and Weiss have denied.
Video: Scott Pelley on the Bari Weiss Era and His Last Days at CBS News
In his first interview following his firing, Pelley spoke with Lulu Garcia-Navarro. He recounted incidents of alleged interference and shared his experiences at CBS News in recent weeks. Pelley also expressed his hopes for outcomes from these tumultuous times at the network he called home for much of his career.
Earlier, other high-profile ’60 Minutes’ leaders were let go as speculation about upcoming changes circulated. Pelley referred to a sudden wave of dismissals as the ‘Black Thursday massacre,’ which included senior staff, such as Tanya Simon, the first woman executive producer of ’60 Minutes.’ Simon concluded the season with a significant audience increase of nine percent and a remarkable 190 percent online presence growth. With 2.5 billion views last season, these figures illustrate considerable success and popularity.