’60 Minutes’ staff revolt as Scott Pelley blasts Bari Weiss, new boss
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If you think there’s some turmoil going on at “60 Minutes,” it’s a no-brainer compared to what happened yesterday.
Since becoming CBS editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss has been attacked by journalists and commentators, mostly from liberals and left-wingers who believe she is an unhinged conservative. It’s not true, and I defended him for the most part, but as someone who has never worked in television, he made some rookie mistakes.
So even as headlines revolve around President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw $1.8 billion in “counterproliferation” funding (made possible by many Republicans joining Democrats in openly criticizing the fund targeting the Jan. 6 rioters), Weiss is facing a rebellion of her own.
First, he fired “60 Minutes” reporters Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi, along with executive producer Tanya Simon (whose story about the Salvadoran prison she retained but remained intact when Trump officials failed to show up).
SCOTT PELLEY HAD A HEAVY CONFRONTATION WITH THE NEW ’60 MINUTES’ BOSS, ACCUSED BARI WEISS OF ‘MURDER’ SHOW
Bari Weiss has been under attack from journalists and commentators since she became CBS editor-in-chief. (Michele Crowe/CBS News via Getty Images)
Ratings for the “CBS Evening News” are down under new anchor Tony Dokoupil, but it’s not all his fault; CBS couldn’t get Trump a visa for his trip to Beijing, so he had to report from Taiwan.
But “60 Minutes” was always different; It was once the crown jewel of the Tiffany channel. It operates in a separate building across Manhattan’s 10th Avenue. Its ratings have been terrific, and the series also earns over $200 million from advertising for the network.
After 58 years on air, it is averaging 9.1 million viewers, up 9% on last season, and has a significant digital presence.
SHARYN ALFONSI APPEARS ON ’60 MINUTES’ AFTER FIGHT WITH BARI WEISS, BRINGS CBS INTO THE NEWSROOM FOR HER ‘TILLING MESSAGE’
But I think Weiss, whom I interviewed, made a big mistake by hiring tech reporter Nick Bilton to run the newsmagazine.
He may be a great guy, but he’s never worked in broadcasting either. In the Weiss era, this is almost like a disqualification.
The Big Three outlets have seen repeated turmoil since the Weiss takeover. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Bilton has worked for the New York Times and Vanity Fair. He met Weiss while working on some documentary projects together.
“When you take an insider and put them in a company, nothing changes,” Bilton told the Times. “I’m not saying we’re going to completely and drastically change the show.”
“If you don’t disturb, you will be disturbed,” he says, according to Variety. “There’s nothing I love more than picking fights.”
But yesterday, Scott Pelley, a prominent member of the “60” crew, hit back sharply, his voice breaking at times.
During an angry staff meeting, Pelley, a former evening news anchor, said of Weiss: “‘She’s killing 60 Minutes.’ He doesn’t like this place. “He was brought in to kill her, and that’s exactly what he’s doing.”
That’s according to a recording of the meeting obtained by the Times.
Pelley was just getting started: “He’s unqualified for his job; you’re poorly qualified for it. The changes he’s made to the ‘Evening News’ have been disastrous, so why should we expect them to get any better?”
“It’s killing ’60 Minutes.'” He doesn’t like this place. “From what reporter Scott Pelley said about Weiss, he was brought in to kill her, and that’s exactly what he’s doing.” (David M. Russell/CBS via Getty Images)
Bilton said, “I’m going to show you… I’m going to meet everyone. I’m so excited to meet everyone, including you.”
Pelley pressed the show’s new boss on why he took the job “knowing he would never be welcome here.”
This caused some backlash: “I’ve been a journalist for 25 years, Scott. I’ve encountered incredibly strong people like you, and none of them scare me.”
Apparently Weiss had been asked to stay away from the meeting.
Look, Bilton might have some good ideas. In the past, the network created “60 Minutes II,” which ran for seven seasons but was shut down after it was revealed that a Dan Pretty segment about George W. Bush and the National Guard was based on forged documents, and both CBS and the anchor apologized.
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Here is the dilemma. Pelley and Lesley Stahl are the most prominent hosts of the series.
If Weiss fires Pelley for his comments, he won’t be able to handle criticism and will appear to be retaliating for free speech. The media will frame this as complete intolerance on his part.
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If he keeps Pelley, he will have to accept working with someone who has been openly critical of him and his new boss on the show.
CBS News’ fight for its most successful franchise isn’t over yet.
