Scott Pelley Blames Bari Weiss for 60 Minutes’ Decline
Scott Pelley, a long‑time “60 Minutes” correspondent, criticized CBS News head Bari Weiss and new executive producer Nick Bilton in a Monday staff meeting. The discussion followed last week’s firings of former producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, according to a recording obtained by the Status media outlet.
Pelley called Bilton, a former technology journalist with no broadcast news background, “slender” in qualifications and accused Weiss of lacking qualifications for her role. He also said changes Weiss had made to “CBS Evening News,” which Pelley once anchored, had been catastrophic and claimed she was “murdering” the show.
CBS News officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. An anonymous CBS source said that both Weiss and Bilton had reached out to Pelley late last week, urging him to remain a key part of the program after the upheaval. The source noted they were disappointed that Pelley’s remarks had become public.
Weiss and CBS News president Tom Cibrowski had previously outlined a “new approach” for the show, aiming to expand its presence beyond its one‑hour broadcast. Bilton was described by the memo as fitting the energy and ambition the show’s founders sought. The meeting ended with staff applauding Pelley, who addressed the recent firings as “cruel.”