CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss discussed former 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley’s exit from the network. On Wednesday, she addressed Pelley’s departure from CBS to network employees and said newsroom leaders could not “find a way back” with the celebrated journalist. Pelley reportedly rejected this claim in a statement of his own.
CBS’ Bari Weiss comments on Scott Pelley’s firing
CBS’ Bari Weiss addressed Scott Pelley’s headline-making exit from the network. The news comes a day after Pelley was terminated from his job after criticizing the new leadership in an explosive staff meeting on Monday. Weiss told CBS News employees on Wednesday that she is only “interested” in working in a newsroom that is built on “trust and mutual respect.”
She added, “That foundation was broken on Monday, and despite our attempts to engage with Scott Pelley and to find a way back, unfortunately we weren’t able to do so, and so we had to part ways. We did not want that to happen, but that’s the path that he chose.” Weiss also described Pelley’s exit as an “unfortunate outcome” and reflected on his remarkable stint with the network, listing his incredible achievements.
However, Pelley strongly denied that Weiss or anybody from senior management made any attempt to reconcile with him (via NBC News). In a written statement, Pelley categorically stated, “Bari Weiss knows what she said is not true.”
Furthermore, the veteran journalist explained his side of the story, sharing, “In the meeting on Tuesday, in which I was effectively fired, there was no effort of any kind to ‘find a way back,’ as Weiss said in the editorial meeting. At no point did anyone in the Tuesday meeting suggest that there could be steps taken by either side that would lead to a resolution.”
Pelley was sharp in his criticism of Weiss and newly appointed executive producer Nick Bilton. He accused Weiss of “murdering” 60 Minutes. Not only that, he reportedly told Bilton, “She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it, and she’s been doing exactly that.”
