The head of CBS News told staff on Wednesday that the network’s decision to fire a longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent involved a breach of trust, according to an audio transcript of an editorial call reported by The New York Times.
“I’m only interested in working in a newsroom that is built on trust and mutual respect; we cannot do our work without it. That foundation was broken on Monday,” Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss reportedly told the newsroom on the morning call.
The network fired veteran journalist Scott Pelley on Tuesday following a fiery exchange with the new “60 Minutes” executive producer Nick Bilton during a meeting with the show’s staff on Monday. Pelley has worked for this show for nearly 30 years.
Weiss hired Bilton in May to helm the show after she fired “60 Minutes” executive producer Tanya Simon. Bilton, a former technology columnist for The New York Times, does not have experience working in broadcast news, and his appointment has drawn public backlash.
During the Monday meeting, Pelley reportedly told Bilton that he had “slender” qualifications for his new role and accused Weiss of “murdering” the network. Weiss was not present during this meeting, according to the Times.
