CBS News fires correspondent Scott Pelley from 60 Minutes

Key Points:

• Bari Weiss, newly installed CBS News chief, has fired several staff members at 60 Minutes, including longtime executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, while appointing Nick Bilton, who lacks broadcast news experience, as the new editor.
• Scott Pelley, former managing editor and anchor of 60 Minutes, was terminated after accusing Weiss of politicizing the organisation and forcing biased reporting; Bilton cited Pelley's uncooperative behavior and negative attitude towards the show's future in his termination letter.
• The staff upheaval follows the acquisition of CBS's parent company Paramount by David Ellison, an ally of former President Trump, who installed Weiss as editor-in-chief and pushed a new digital-focused vision for CBS News.
• Weiss criticized CBS News for relying too much on broadcast TV and losing audience trust, leading to layoffs exceeding 6% of the workforce and the shutdown of the radio division.
• Departing correspondent Cecilia Vega condemned executive attempts to insert political bias into news coverage, emphasizing the threat to journalistic integrity and democracy.