Bari Weiss addresses Scott Pelley firing in CBS News staff call, says it's the ‘path that he chose’
Scott Pelley accused CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss of misleading staff about his firing after she told employees Wednesday that the network tried to "find a way back" with the longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent before cutting ties.
Weiss reportedly told staff during the network’s 9 a.m. ET editorial call that Pelley’s departure followed a breakdown in trust and mutual respect after his clash with new management. But Pelley directly disputed Weiss' account in a statement, saying CBS executives never offered a path to resolution during a Tuesday meeting in which he said he was "effectively fired."
"Bari Weiss knows what she said is not true," Pelley told The New York Times. "In the meeting on Tuesday, in which I was effectively fired, there was no effort of any kind to ‘find a way back,’ as Weiss said in the editorial meeting."
The New York Post reported details of Weiss' Wednesday staff meeting, where she explained that the veteran journalist was shown the door after a public spat with management.
"We did not want that to happen, but that’s the path that he chose," Weiss said. "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."
Pelley said that description was "disingenuous," claiming that CBS News president Tom Cibrowski raised the possibility of firing almost immediately.
"At no point did anyone in the Tuesday meeting suggest that there could be steps taken by either side that would lead to a resolution," Pelley told the Times. "Weiss and Tom Cibrowski were openly hostile from the start. ‘Firing’ was raised by Cibrowski in the first 15 seconds."
Pelley's firing came one day after he confronted Nick Bilton, the newly installed executive producer of "60 Minutes," during a tense staff meeting. Pelley had criticized Bilton's qualifications and accused Weiss of damaging the newsmagazine after a sweeping shake-up.
Pelley said Weiss, Cibrowski and Bilton refused to answer his questions about the recent dismissals at "60 Minutes," including the departures of executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi.
"I’m not answering that question," Pelley quoted Weiss as saying repeatedly.
Weiss nevertheless praised Pelley's decades of reporting at CBS, telling staff that his firing did not erase his work for the network.
"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, according to the Post.
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Weiss pointed to several of Pelley’s "60 Minutes" stories, including his reporting on Havana syndrome, his interview with former Sen. Ben Sasse and a Vietnam report that featured him rappelling into one of the world’s largest caves.
"Those are unforgettable stories," Weiss said, according to the Post. "They’re the kind of stories that have always typified ‘60 Minutes.’"
Weiss also framed Bilton as the person who would carry the program into its next season.
"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.
Cibrowski also reportedly praised Pelley during the call, framing him as a central figure in the network's history.
"His incredible body of work… will always be part of the history of CBS News," Cibrowski said.
"We know that these events, developments, changes are a lot to process for every single person in this room and on this call," Cibrowski said. "And they are happening frequently."
Pelley said the meeting ended abruptly after Cibrowski declared the discussion over and stood to show him the door.
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"No constructive dialogue was allowed by the CBS executives at any point," Pelley said. "I was stonewalled for about 10 minutes and then, for no apparent reason, ‘This conversation is over.’"
CBS announced May 28 that Bilton, an investigative journalist, author and filmmaker, would become the fifth executive producer in "60 Minutes" history and the first to come from outside linear television.
Pelley said he was "pained" that CBS News staffers were "misled" during the Wednesday call.
"These executives cannot gain the trust of the staff with lies," Pelley said. "This is antithetical to everything we stand for and reveals contempt for what journalists do."
CBS News and Pelley did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.