Deadline reported that the former 60 Minutes veteran correspondent Scott Pelley offered heartfelt gratitude towards his supporters in the aftermath of his abrupt departure from the CBS News program. Pelley was fired following dispute with new 60 Minutes executive producer Nick Bilton, which was preceded by mass purge of correspondents and longtime staff members in late May.
The post, on Pelley’s Instagram account, features him smiling contentedly at the helm of a boat gliding along the ocean, with the short and simple caption:
“To all of you who have been so kind, you are the wind in my sails. So deeply grateful.”
See the post below, via Instagram.
The post comes at a tenuous point in the overall situation – Since the slew of pink-slipping that 60 Minutes has gone through, audiences and critics are concerned that the program is on the decline, citing concerns about political interference and potential overreach of corporate authority in broadcast journalism and news. After the meeting in which Bilton and Pelley were at odds, Bilton released memo attempting to assuage concerns about 60 Minutes retaining editorial independence amidst claims of corporate and political influences.
Members of CBS News staff have also dissented with the current state of affairs, reports Deadline, with a statement released by the three remaining correspondents at 60 Minutes – Bill Whitaker, Lesley Stahl, and John Wertheim – reinforcing that they will remain with the show but are not complicit with the existing management and power structure. Staffers outside of the program have expressed confusion and anxiety over the firings, as the news became a major story within the past week.
Said by a CBS network veteran on the subject, via Deadline, lamenting the morale and how the current events have affected the workplace environment; “We cover the news, we should never be the news.”
The situation is further exacerbated by Paramount owner David Ellison, per Deadline, as he is credited with hiring the central figure behind the CBS News dissent (Bari Weiss) and is criticized for his focus on getting President Donald Trump to approve the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.
In any case, it seems that 60 Minutes is still kicking, but audience eyes are still on the program (and those who have departed) for what comes next after all this change.