Scott Pelley Criticizes CBS for New Direction
Scott Pelley openly expressed his disapproval of the “new direction” at CBS even before the controversial hiring of Bari Weiss. In a bold move last April, Pelley used the final minute of a broadcast to criticize his superiors at CBS and Paramount following the sudden departure of the show’s executive producer, Bill Owens, amidst the network’s response to threats from President Donald Trump.
Paramount, the parent company of CBS, found itself in need of Trump’s approval for a merger with Skydance Media. In a settlement to a lawsuit brought by Trump against the network, Paramount ended up paying $16 million after the president claimed that 60 Minutes had manipulated an interview with Kamala Harris.
Owens, who had been leading the iconic 60 Minutes franchise, made the decision to resign in protest, citing the loss of editorial independence under Paramount’s supervision. Pelley condemned the situation, stating, “Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways. None of our stories has been blocked, but Bill felt he had lost the independence that honest journalism requires.”
He went on to praise Owens, affirming that his resignation demonstrated his commitment to upholding the principles of unbiased journalism. Pelley remarked, “No one here is happy about it, but in resigning, Bill proved one thing: he was the right person to lead 60 Minutes all along.”
