Poynter is reporting significant turmoil at CBS News, including the firing of veteran correspondent Scott Pelley from "60 Minutes" late Tuesday night. The dismissal followed a contentious staff meeting where Pelley reportedly questioned the credentials of new executive producer Nick Bilton and accused CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss of "murdering" the iconic program.
Weiss addressed Pelley's firing during a Wednesday morning editorial call, stating that the "foundation was broken" on Monday and that despite attempts to find a resolution, they "had to part ways." She acknowledged Pelley's "amazing contributions" to CBS and "60 Minutes." Pelley, however, disputed Weiss's account, stating there was "no effort of any kind to 'find a way back'" and that he was "pained that the staff of CBS News was misled." He said he pressed Weiss on the firings of executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi, to which Weiss reportedly responded, "I'm not answering that question." Pelley accused executives of using "lies" and showing "contempt for what journalists do."
The departures of Pelley, Vega, Alfonsi, and Anderson Cooper leave "60 Minutes" with only three remaining correspondents: Bill Whitaker, Lesley Stahl, and Jon Wertheim. CNN's Brian Stelter wrote about questions regarding the preservation of the show's editorial independence and production quality. Puck's Dylan Byers suggested the new leadership might struggle to maintain the show, potentially requiring a rebuild from scratch.
Poynter also highlighted serious allegations made by Pelley and Vega. Pelley stated new management instructed him to "inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story" and include "unverified assertions," which he refused. He also alleged politicians were invited to choose correspondents for interviews. Vega, after her firing, told The New York Times' Michael M. Grynbaum that her teams experienced "efforts to insert political bias into our stories" and "censorship, both imposed and self-driven." Despite the contentious departure, "CBS Evening News" paid tribute to Pelley, with anchor Tony Dokoupil praising his commitment to truth.
Separately, Poynter is reporting that President Donald Trump verbally attacked CNN's Kaitlan Collins during a White House Q&A on Wednesday. Trump called CNN a "very corrupt organization" and referred to Collins as a "corrupt reporter," criticizing her for not smiling and having "hatred in her eyes." He later told Collins to "be quiet" and questioned her past political leanings. A CNN spokesperson defended Collins as an "exceptional journalist."
In other media news, NOTUS, which will rebrand as The Star, hired three former Washington Post sportswriters and former ESPN writer Martenzie Johnson, Awful Announcing reported. The Washington Post reported a lawsuit alleging the Pentagon is censoring military newspaper Stars and Stripes. The New York Times reported on Glamour magazine's shift to a "skeleton crew" focused on shopping links. Poynter's PolitiFact debunked an AI-generated video claiming workers removed Trump's name from the Kennedy Center.