CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss addressed the firing of Scott Pelley during a staff meeting Wednesday morning, telling employees that the network had no choice but to part ways with the veteran correspondent following his public confrontation with management.
“The foundation [of trust and mutual respect] was broken” Weiss said during the network’s daily 9 a.m. editorial call, according to a recording obtained by The Post.
“Despite our attempts to engage with Scott Pelley and to find a way back, unfortunately we weren’t able to do so, and so we had to part ways,” Weiss told staff.
“We did not want that to happen, but that’s the path that he chose.”
The remarks marked Weiss’s first direct comments to employees following Pelley’s termination Tuesday, which came one day after the longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent publicly clashed with newly installed executive producer Nick Bilton during a contentious staff meeting.
Weiss nevertheless praised Pelley’s body of work and highlighted several of his recent reports for “60 Minutes.”
“That unfortunate outcome does not discount from the amazing contributions and work that Scott Pelley has done for CBS and for ‘60 Minutes’ over the course of his career,” Weiss said.
She specifically cited Pelley’s reporting on Havana Syndrome, his interview with former Sen. Ben Sasse and his story from Vietnam that featured him rappelling into one of the world’s largest caves.
“Those are unforgettable stories,” Weiss said. “They’re the kind of stories that have always typified ‘60 Minutes.’”
Weiss also sought to reassure staff about the future of the newsmagazine under Bilton, the former New York Times columnist and filmmaker she recently installed as executive producer after a sweeping overhaul that ousted several top producers and correspondents.
“They’re the kind of stories that Nick Bilton is going to put on the air come September in Season 59 with the amazing team that’s still there and hopefully some new people that are going to be joining us,” Weiss said.
CBS News president Tom Cibrowski echoed Weiss’s remarks, calling Pelley “an integral part of ‘60 Minutes,’ the ‘CBS Evening News’ and this entire news organization for decades.”
“His incredible body of work … will always be part of the history of CBS News,” Cibrowski said.
Cibrowski acknowledged that employees were struggling with the pace of change at the network.
“We know that these events, developments, changes are a lot to process for every single person in this room and on this call,” he said. “And they are happening frequently.”
CBS News did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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