CBS News has fired veteran correspondent Scott Pelley from 60 Minutes, sources confirm. The decision, announced late Friday, ends Pelley's two-decade tenure at the flagship news programme. No official reason was given, but insiders point to a clash over editorial direction and an ongoing cost-cutting purge at the network.
Pelley, a former CBS Evening News anchor, was known for his hard-hitting investigations. His dismissal raises questions about the future of serious journalism at a network increasingly driven by ratings and corporate interests. A CBS spokesperson declined to comment, but sources say Pelley was escorted from the building.
The move comes as CBS faces pressure from parent company Paramount Global to streamline operations and boost profits. Pelley's firing is the latest in a series of departures from the network's news division, including the exit of veteran producer Jeff Fager under a cloud of scandal. Critics argue that the network is abandoning its commitment to investigative journalism in favour of entertainment.
Pelley has not yet commented but is said to be considering legal action. The firing sends a chilling message to journalists covering powerful interests: no one is safe when the bottom line is king.
