CBS News fired veteran journalist and "60 Minutes" correspondent Scott Pelley on June 3, 2026 [1].
The termination of a high-profile correspondent marks a significant shakeup at the network's flagship news program, signaling a period of internal friction under new leadership.
Management said the decision followed a tense and confrontational exchange between Pelley and Nick Bilton, the new executive producer of "60 Minutes" [1, 2]. CBS News officials said the interaction was untenable, leading to the immediate dismissal of the journalist at the network's New York City headquarters [1].
"We have made a difficult decision to fire Scott Pelley," a CBS News spokesperson said [1].
Bari Weiss, the Editor-in-Chief of CBS News, defended the move during an all-hands staff call. Weiss said Pelley "chose a path that we cannot support, and we had to act accordingly" [3].
Pelley, who spent more than 30 years at the network [2], expressed his reaction to the firing the following day. "I am shocked and disappointed by CBS's decision to fire me after years of service," Pelley said [4].
The clash between the veteran correspondent and the new executive producer appears to have been the primary catalyst for the firing, which occurred only one day after the June 2 exchange [1, 3]. The network has not provided further details regarding the specific nature of the confrontation.
“"We have made a difficult decision to fire Scott Pelley."”
The firing of a long-tenured figure like Pelley suggests a sharp cultural or operational pivot within '60 Minutes' under new management. By prioritizing the authority of the new executive producer over a three-decade veteran, CBS News is signaling a zero-tolerance approach to internal conflict during its current leadership transition.
