Scott Pelley’s Statement on CBS Firing

Former “60 Minutes” host Scott Pelley made a statement on Wednesday, claiming that CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss misrepresented the circumstances surrounding his dismissal. This follows Pelley’s second statement after his firing on Tuesday, which seemed to contradict Weiss’s version of the meeting. He also accused CBS President Tom Cybrowski of planning to terminate his position.

“During Tuesday’s meeting, there was no indication from either side that a resolution was possible,” Pelley stated. “Both Weiss and Cybrowski were confrontational from the start. Within the first minute, Cybrowski shouted ‘shots fired.’

Pelley’s statement expressed his disappointment that the CBS News staff was misled during a conference call earlier that day. He stressed, “These executives cannot gain the trust of their team by lying—this undermines everything we stand for and shows a lack of respect for journalists.”

After his dismissal, Pelley had claimed, “I was told by the new management to inject falsehoods and biases into politically sensitive articles.” He mentioned that he had been directed to use unverified claims. “So far, I’ve been able to refuse these instructions,” he added. “But allowing politicians to select interviewers for ’60 Minutes’ is definitely not the way to proceed.”

Previously, Pelley had a disagreement with the new executive producer of “60 Minutes,” Nick Bilton. During a recorded confrontation, Bilton accused Pelley of hijacking a meeting and disrespecting him. “Your dramatic display of hostility in front of staff instead of addressing it privately shows you don’t care about the show’s future success,” Bilton said in a letter to Pelley.

Pelley asserted that the deterioration of values within the leadership at “60 Minutes” was becoming unbearable. “The leadership I once respected is no longer recognizable,” he explained. “Since the principles I valued have vanished, I, too, must move on.”