CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss defended the firing of longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley, telling staff that a breakdown in “trust and mutual respect” left the network with no choice but to part ways with one of its most prominent journalists.“I’m only interested in working in a newsroom built on trust and mutual respect; we cannot do our work without it. That foundation was broken on Monday,” Weiss reportedly told staff during a newsroom call Wednesday morning, according to the New York Times.“Despite our attempts to engage with Scott Pelley and find a way forward, unfortunately we weren’t able to do so, and so we had to part ways,” Weiss said. “We did not want that to happen, but that’s the path that he chose.”
Pelley, who joined 60 Minutes in 2004, was fired Tuesday following a contentious staff meeting the day before.
According to multiple reports, Pelley challenged the qualifications of incoming executive producer Nick Bilton and criticized Weiss, accusing her of being “brought in to kill” 60 Minutes and “murdering” the storied newsmagazine through a series of management decisions.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Pelley interrupted Bilton shortly after his introductory remarks and launched into a blistering critique of the network’s leadership.
