Posted in: CBS, TV | Tagged: 60 minutes, cbs news

Scott Pelley on Bari Weiss, Trump & 60 Minutes: "CBS News Is On Fire"

Speaking with The New York Times, Scott Pelley discussed his 60 Minutes firing, Bari Weiss, Donald Trump, the future of CBS News, and more.

After a week that saw the termination of the firing of correspondent Scott Pelley, and both the news division and the long-running news magazine being dragged into the spotlight in ways they would not prefer, CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss and 60 Minutes EP Nick Bilton actually got a little good news heading into the weekend. Correspondents Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim have decided to stay with 60 Minutes as it readies for Season 59. Though after the firing of Pelley and a number of others, and with accusations of corporate and political influences still very much in play, the three made it clear in a memo to staff that their return is not "an endorsement of the existing power structure. That is simply, categorically not the case." In fact, Stahl, Whitaker, and Wertheim make it clear why they're returning: "We don't want to see '60 Minutes' die."

With Bilton having reassured the staff that the long-running news magazine would not be influenced by outside forces and would be able to do its job effectively and independently, the trio plans to ensure those words are put into action. "If not, we leave," Stahl, Whitaker, and Wertheim wrote. On Sunday, Pelley shifted the spotlight back onto Weiss and Bilton during an exclusive interview with The New York Times' Lulu Garcia-Navarro. In it, he elaborates on a number of claims he made following his firing, including offering an example of when editorial overstepping came into play, more of his perspective on his final meeting with CBS News brass, and much more. Here's a look at three highlights that caught our attention:

Pelley on Weiss's Hiring & If She Should Be Let Go: "I was not familiar with her name, so I did some research and discovered those things that you just outlined. What concerned me was that she had zero television experience and had never managed a large global operation like CBS News. Those were red flags to me, but I thought, David Ellison thinks she's the right person for the job. We are absolutely going to welcome her, listen to her, and give her the benefit of the doubt," Pelley shared. When asked if Weiss should be removed from her position, the journalist offered, "Oh, gosh, yes. Look, she's a lovely person. And her Free Press organization that she founded has been very successful. But television's not her thing. This is like somebody walking up to me and saying, 'There's a 747, there are 400 people on it, we need you to fly it to Paris.' I'm going to decline because I don't have a clue. And it would have been so much better if Bari Weiss had been offered this job and said, 'Oh, that's not for me, I don't know how to do that.'"

Pelley on Trump's Reaction to His "60 Minutes" Firing: "Stupid? I can take that. Stiff? Yeah, probably. Don't care about the country? I've never worn the uniform. But I've been in combat for this country, in Afghanistan and Iraq, Kuwait. I've been shot at, spent nights in foxholes filling up with water in the desert. I'm not aware that the president of the United States has ever done any of those things for his country. Please correct me if I'm wrong. You become a journalist because you love the First Amendment. You become a journalist because you love the country. And while all the other descriptions that the president used about me might be applicable, not that one. [Tears up] There is no democracy without journalism. It can't be done. That is why I am a journalist."

Pelley on What He Wants the Future to Hold for CBS News: "My hope is that the leadership of Paramount will say to themselves, this isn't working. We have broadcasts that almost don't get on the air. We have respected journalists saying that there is a thumb on the scale for one political party over another. We have a broadcast that is among the most important in America. The most successful in the history of all television. It was doing great, so why are we making these changes? We need adult supervision and at the moment we don't have it. We have people who've been installed in these jobs who through no fault of their own have no experience in television. They don't know what they're doing. And there's a subtle political bias that I've never seen at '60 Minutes' before, or at CBS News before. So that is my hope: a return to sanity. We can save this. It's possible to land this plane. But right now, CBS News is on fire."

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!