CBS News has fired veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley after a clash with network managers and leaders. Pelley had been one of the most trusted and recognizable journalists on the 60 Minutes news team for decades.
The firing comes after a heated staff meeting where Pelley accused Barry Weiss, the relatively new head of CBS News, of trying to kill the show and disparaged her lack of broadcast experience. He is the third on-air reporter dismissed from 60 Minutes within a single week.
In a statement, Pelley said CBS management instructed him to inject falsehoods into reporting. He believes that 60 Minutes is being blown up by parent company Paramount in order to curry a moment of favour with the Trump administration.
The dismissal is raising new concerns about political pressure on American media. One media analyst called it the canary in the coal mine for press freedom, accountability journalism and democracy.
60 Minutes is the flagship programme for CBS News and its parent company Paramount. The show has been a cornerstone of American investigative journalism for more than five decades.
Pelley's explosive exit is sparking questions about journalistic independence in the age of President Donald Trump. The suggestion that the network is making editorial decisions based on political considerations has alarmed press freedom advocates.
CBS has not publicly commented on Pelley's specific allegations about being instructed to inject falsehoods. The rapid dismissal of three on-air reporters from the same programme within days is unprecedented in the show's history.