Veteran journalist and longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley took the rare step of publicly criticizing CBS on Sunday night, following the abrupt resignation of a senior 60 Minutes producer. The producer, who had worked at the network for over a decade, reportedly stepped down in protest over what they described as “increasing and unacceptable corporate oversight” into editorial decisions.
Pelley, who anchored a notably more muted segment than usual, addressed the controversy at the end of the program in an unscripted moment that quickly went viral.
“When journalism is compromised by corporate interests, the public loses,” Pelley said, looking directly into the camera. “We at 60 Minutes have always believed our loyalty lies with the truth — not with boardrooms, not with shareholders.”
Sources inside CBS News said tensions had been growing for months as network executives pushed for greater control over which stories could be pursued and how they would be framed, often citing concerns over “brand risk” and “advertiser sensitivities.” Bill Owens, the longtime “60 Minutes” executive producer, quit last week over the company’s heavy-handed interference.
“Over the past months, it has also become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it. To make independent decisions based on what was right for ’60 Minutes,’ right for the audience,” Owens wrote in a memo last week obtained by The Post.
Bill Owens announced his resignation last week.
“So, having defended this show — and what we stand for — from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward,” he wrote.
Pelley, known for his steadfast commitment to journalistic integrity, hinted that the resignation might only be the tip of a larger issue at the network. “We cannot claim to hold others accountable if we are unwilling to hold ourselves accountable first,” he said. “Our audience deserves better than sanitized storytelling approved by executives.”
CBS News has yet to release an official statement on the resignation or Pelley’s comments. However, several current and former CBS journalists expressed support for Pelley online, suggesting his remarks reflect a growing frustration among rank-and-file staff about the state of journalism within corporate media.
Meanwhile, Trump has continued to slam 60 Minutes in recent weeks. Earlier this month, after the program aired two segments on the Ukraine war and the president’s desire to annex Greenland, the president accused the show of “fraudulent, beyond recognition, reporting” and called for the network’s license to be pulled.
“CBS is out of control, at levels never seen before, and they should pay a big price for this,” the president fumed.
As one CBS insider put it: “Scott said out loud what many here have been whispering for months.”