American television journalist and CBS News correspondent
CBS News has fired longtime 60 Minutes anchor Scott Pelley after a clash with new leadership. Bari Weiss says the foundation of trust was broken and that they could not find a path back, while CBS executives praise Pelley's body of work and look to the show's future under Nick Bilton.
The New York Times and New York Post report that after a leadership purge at CBS News’ 60 Minutes, Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim are debating whether to remain. Ellison’s Paramount takeover is under scrutiny as staff confronts management over editorial independence and leadership changes.
The CBS News program 60 Minutes is undergoing a major personnel shakeup. Nick Bilton has announced five new hires, including Ross Douthat and Norah O’Donnell, along with Sebastian Junger, Gianna Toboni and Trevor Phillips, to join as correspondents or contributors. The changes follow previous layoffs and leadership shifts under Bari Weiss’s editorship.
The CBS News division, led by Bari Weiss, has seen a wave of departures at 60 Minutes, including Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega, Tanya Simon, and other veterans. Anderson Cooper has left, and Scott Pelley was fired, as the network faces internal tensions and questions about editorial direction. New hires across the program aim to stabilize coverage and restore trust amid ongoing changes and a larger merger dispute involving Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.
CBS Evening News has seen ratings improve with a substitute anchor, Matt Gutman, delivering best performance in 17 weeks as Tony Dokoupil recovers from fluctuations in viewership. Independent confirms Gutman’s temporary boost, while The Guardian notes ongoing challenges for Bari Weiss’s leadership and 60 Minutes changes amid a broader network transition.