Crucial Quote
“I need to be a little bit careful here because I don’t want to be hyperbolic,” Pelley said when asked why he thought Weiss asked for changes to the Minneapolis broadcast. “My impression at the time was that she was putting a thumb on the scale on behalf of the administration. Constantly looking out for the views of the president. We’re reporting those views. There’s nothing wrong with reporting those views, but it was never enough.” CBS has disputed Pelley’s interpretation of the events, with a spokesperson telling the Times there is “no credible argument to suggest Ms. Weiss was ‘putting a thumb on the scale on behalf of the administration’ in any instance over the past seven months.”
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TANGENT
Pelley said he felt “shock” and “dismay” after the abrupt firing of former executive producer Tanya Simon last month, the first woman to serve as the longrunning newsmagazine’s executive producer—especially after the show saw record growth in viewership and astronomical growth on social media, according to owner Paramount’s own metrics published weeks earlier.
Key Background
David Ellison, the son of billionaire Oracle founder Larry Ellison, bought Paramount from Shari Redstone in a deal that was finally approved last summer. As part of the takeover, Ellison installed Weiss, a former New York Times opinion journalist and founder of the new media startup The Free Press, as the network’s editor-in-chief. Pelley said he thought the sale was “necessary” and praised Ellison’s early vision for the network. “Mr. Ellison came in with a lot of money, a young man of vision, and I thought this was going to be very good for all of us.” Pelley also blasted the previous owners of Paramount over their settlement terms to resolve a lawsuit Trump brought over coverage on “60 Minutes,” calling the multi-million dollar payout they agreed to a “bribe to the president to settle this frivolous, ridiculous lawsuit.” Pelley said he was “concerned” about Weiss’ lack of experience in broadcast television when she was tapped to take over leadership of the network, but also said he wanted to give her a chance at the job. “Those were red flags to me, but I thought, David Ellison thinks she’s the right person for the job,” Pelley said. “We are absolutely going to welcome her, listen to her, and give her the benefit of the doubt.”
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Further Reading
https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/06/03/scott-pelley-calls-bari-weiss-disingenuous-after-she-defended-firing-60-minutes-journalist/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/06/03/pelley-alleges-cbs-management-asked-him-to-inject-falsehoods-into-story-after-60-minutes-firing-full-statement/
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