Former “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley lamented his termination from CBS in an hour-long interview with the New York Times, dubbing the day he was fired “The Black Thursday Massacre,” and likening it to homicide.
“It’s like your spouse was murdered,” Pelley told the Times. “I do want to be clear that I do not feel sorry for me … I care about these people I left behind. People who are still trapped [at CBS].”
The interview came five days after Pelley exploded at the newly installed executive producer of “60 Minutes,” Nick Bilton, during the latter’s introductory remarks at a staff meeting. Pelley reportedly went on to accuse the Editor-in-Chief of CBS News, Bari Weiss, of “murdering” the “60 Minutes” program “and questioned Bilton’s qualifications for the executive-producer role,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
Pelley’s termination is one in a long list of former CBS News correspondents and executives who have either resigned or been fired from CBS in the last weeks and months. (RELATED: INGERSOLL: A Head Rolls At CBS, And The Long Liberal Death March Continues)
In the interview, Pelley relitigates the last year of CBS News under Weiss, accusing the broadcaster’s editor-in-chief of “putting a thumb on the scale on behalf of the Administration” regarding how she directed coverage of the anti-ICE protests in Minnesota earlier this year.
When asked to explain in further detail the days leading up to his termination, Pelley claims that the entire “60 Minutes” team was already on edge because of the recent shake-ups in the show’s senior members. Knowing it was an “existential moment” for the program, he canceled a vacation with his wife to show up to Bilton’s first meeting.
In a moment Pelley described as “jaw-dropping,” Bilton pulled out his phone to read a prepared statement. At that point, Pelley interrupted Bilton’s remarks and proceeded to question Bilton’s qualifications as executive producer, and accused Bari Weiss of “murdering” the “60 Minutes” program.
When asked why he chose to confront Bilton in public, Pelley countered that it wasn’t in public, because he was “with family,” referring to his CBS colleagues. “None of this was meant to be public,” he added.
Defending his actions, Pelley claimed that he was defending his colleagues, as the most senior member in the room, “only I could do it. None of them could be asked to take that risk.” Whatever he said must have been moving, because he recalled that the meeting “ended in thunderous applause for me, if I may say so.”
The leadership at CBS News apparently didn’t agree, because they called him in for a meeting shortly after. This meeting included Bari Weiss and CBS Executive Editor Tom Cibrowski; Pelley explains that he didn’t believe the meeting could have possibly ended in his being fired, saying it was “the furthest thing” from his mind. After what he characterized as a “hostile” and “dismissive” meeting with CBS News leadership, Pelley described meeting a crowd of coworkers standing outside of his office. “It hit me,” he said. “This is a vigil.” Shortly thereafter, he was fired.
When asked about his hopes for the future of the broadcaster, Pelley stated he hopes there is “a return to sanity,” alleging “there is a subtle political bias” that he claims to have “never seen” at CBS News.
“There is no democracy without journalism. It can’t be done,” Pelley declared.
CBS News has not yet announced a permanent replacement for Pelley on “60 Minutes.”