CBS News veteran Scott Pelley criticized the TV channel after he was unexpectedly fired on Tuesday, June 2.
In a statement published by the publication Variety and shared on social media, Pelley sharply criticized the "incompetence and unprofessionalism" of the Paramount-owned Skydance network and accused the new owners of "throwing away the legend" of the program.« 60 minutes ».
Pelley was a correspondent for "60 Minutes" for 22 years. Author: MEGA
«"When the control [of the program "« 60 minutes »"The legacy passed to my colleagues and me, our responsibility was to vigorously evolve in the new era of media technology while maintaining the values our audiences expected. Now, the new owner of our network is discarding that narrative, apparently to please the Trump administration. It's appalling," he wrote.
Pelley was reportedly fired after a dispute with his new boss. 60 Minutes programs« Nick Bilton , a technology journalist who was appointed by the newly appointed editor-in-chief of CBS News. Bari Weiss . During the argument, Pelley criticized Weiss for "not being qualified for this job" and told Bilton that he had "modest qualifications" for the new position. He also told them both that they were "killing the program." «60 minutes »».
Before taking this job, Bari Weiss had no experience in broadcast journalism. The Free Press/Youtube
Like Weiss, Bilton also had no experience in broadcast journalism before landing the prestigious job. Weiss, 42, who ran a right-wing outlet before joining CBS News, The Free Press , was appointed head of Paramount Skydance David Ellison , friend Donald Trump .
Pelley worked at CBS News for 37 years and was a correspondent for "60 Minutes" for 22 years. He became the latest "60 Minutes" veteran to leave, joining Anderson Cooper, Sharyn Alfonsi, and Cecilia Vega, the latter two of whom were fired in Weiss's sweeping shakeup. «60 Minutes» only the ones left Lesley Stahl , Bill Whitaker и Jon Wertheim, and she is preparing for her 59th season.
Anderson Cooper was one of many veteran "60 Minutes" correspondents who either left the show or were fired. Author: MEGA
«Last month the program« 60 minutes"» "lost its original essence when our entire senior management and two of our best correspondents were brutally fired without cause. Good people were silenced because they stood up for our audience. They stood up for justice against the forces of political bias; they stood up for professionalism against chaos," Pelley said in a statement.
Pelley accused Weiss and Bilton of sacrificing journalistic ethics to please the Trump administration with their reporting.
«"As for me, new management instructed me to introduce falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story. I was instructed to include unsubstantiated allegations. To date, I have never been able to ignore or refuse these instructions," he wrote.
Pelley sharply criticized the "incompetence and unprofessionalism" of Weiss and Bilton. Author: MEGA
He also expressed extreme disappointment with the "incompetence and unprofessionalism" of the new management, writing: "Ultimately, the incompetence and unprofessionalism of the new management have caused enormous damage. In the case of one of my stories, the entire program almost went off the air before it even aired 19 minutes later.".
Following Pelly's dismissal, Weiss reportedly turned to the remaining skeleton crew of the show. «60 minutes »" During a morning phone call, she said, "I know I speak for myself, and I hope I speak for everyone here, when I say that I'm only interested in working in a newsroom built on trust and mutual respect. We can't do our jobs without that. That foundation was shattered Monday, and despite our efforts to reach out to Scott Pelley and find a way to restore that relationship, unfortunately, we were unable to do so, so we had to part ways.".