“60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley reportedly called out CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss in a heated meeting Monday, accusing her of “murdering” the long-running news program.
The Guardian reporter Jeremy Barr tweeted that things came to a head between Pelley, new “60 Minutes” executive producer Nick Bilton and others in a group meeting Monday. During the meeting, Pelley reportedly said of Weiss, who appointed Bilton, “She’s murdering ’60 Minutes.’ She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it and is doing exactly that.”
Barr additionally reported that Pelley pushed back directly against Bilton and co. over the string of “60 Minutes” firings last week, which resulted in the departures of — among others — correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi. Pelley reportedly referred to the mass firing spree as “Black Thursday.”
Bilton, a former tech journalist and filmmaker with no previous broadcast TV experience, was hired by Weiss to replace former “60 Minutes” executive producer Tanya Simon, who had been appointed to the role before Bilton after spending 30 years working on the news program. The meeting Monday was intended to formally introduce Bilton to the “60 Minutes” crew.
UPDATE: Scott Pelley called out Bari Weiss, saying in the meeting: "She’s murdering 60 mins. She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it and is doing exactly that." https://t.co/FUgJLPYae5
— Jeremy Barr (@jeremymbarr) June 1, 2026
According to a recording obtained by The New York Times, Bilton began the meeting by trying to assuage certain staff members’ fears about the direction of “60 Minutes” under his lead.
“For me, the journalism is the journalism,” the executive producer told those in attendance. “That is why I am here. That is why we are all here.”
He reportedly added, “The rumors people are spreading, that I’m going to turn the show into 60 one-minute episodes, that it’s going to be like TikTok, that is not changing. The show is going to stay exactly like it is for now.”
“Broadcast is an ice cube that is melting, OK?” Bilton added, noting, “Bari loves this institution. She loves ’60 Minutes.’” It was the latter remark that purportedly launched Pelley into his screed against Weiss.
Puck senior correspondent Dylan Byers and the New York Times offered additional insight into Pelley’s heated Monday meeting with Bilton. During the confrontation, Pelley reportedly told Bilton directly that he had “slender” qualifications to be a “60 Minutes” EP and, when Bilton told him their conversation would best be held in private, Pelley replied that he would prefer to speak candidly in front of their colleagues.
“They’re my colleagues, too,” Bilton reportedly argued, to which Pelley is said to have countered, “That remains to be seen.” As Byers noted, Weiss was not present for the meeting in question, even as Pelley questioned CBS’ commitment to the future of “60 Minutes.”
According to the New York Times’ report of the incident, after Pelley’s comments, Bilton responded, “Scott, I’m not intimidated by you,” before trying to get the meeting back on track. “I look forward to talking to you in a one-on-one setting as these meetings are scheduled. And enjoy the bagels,” he said before exiting the meeting.
Following their oustings last week, both Vega and Alfonsi expressed their concerns over the new, Weiss-led direction of “60 Minutes.” In a statement shared after her firing, Vega wrote, “I very much fear what comes next for and the future of the legendary broadcast.” In her own, lengthy statement last week, Alfonsi, who clashed behind-the-scenes with Weiss over her “Inside CECOT” story, echoed Vega’s concerns.
“The wall between editorial independence and corporate interest at CBS is being methodically torn down. Journalists willing to challenge authority are being pushed aside in favor of those who will not,” Alfonsi warned. “If this continues, the result will be a broadcast that looks like ’60 Minutes’ but lacks the courage and character to produce journalism that matters.”
Weiss has come under heavy fire and scrutiny in recent days for her aggressive restructuring of the “60 Minutes” leadership and correspondence teams. Pelley, notably, is far from the first high-profile figure to question Bilton’s appointment in particular, given his lack of qualifying experience for his new role.
While speaking with Katie Couric last week, former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta called the moves proof that “the wheels have come off over at CBS and Bari Weiss only has herself to blame.”
In his first memo to the “60 Minutes” staff last week, Bilton called his hiring “the honor of my career” and labeled his new position “the best job in journalism.” At the same time, he also teased big changes coming to the legendary news program.
“The world we are reporting on, and the world we are reporting to, where people consume their news, has moved. And if we don’t move with it, in the ways that matter, we won’t be here for the next sixty years. I want to do everything humanly possible to ensure that we are,” Bilton wrote. “Evolving or dying isn’t a threat. It’s simple math.”
“I’m here to lead this show, not preserve it under glass. That means honoring what works and being honest about what doesn’t. I have a notebook full of ideas,” his memo continued. “I’m excited to share them, and I’m confident you’ll be excited by them, too.”
Pelley has been reporting stories on “60 Minutes” since 2004. Bilton, meanwhile, built his career penning investigative features for outlets like The New York Times and Vanity Fair. In 2021, he also wrote and directed the HBO documentary “Fake Famous,” exploring online influencer culture.
CBS News did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
