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Wednesday, November 11, 2026Nov 11

What to know about the turmoil at ‘60 Minutes’

FILE — The CBS studios in New York, Nov. 20, 2025. Scott Pelley’s firing is the latest in a string of controversies and staffing shake-ups that have plagued CBS’s news division. (Lucia Vazquez/The New York Times)
FILE — The CBS studios in New York, Nov. 20, 2025. Scott Pelley’s firing is the latest in a string of controversies and staffing shake-ups that have plagued CBS’s news division. (Lucia Vazquez/The New York Times) FILE — The CBS studios in New York, Nov. 20, 2025. Scott Pelley’s firing is the latest in a string of controversies and staffing shake-ups that have plagued CBS’s news division. (Lucia Vazquez/The New York Times)

“60 Minutes,” a crown jewel of broadcast journalism, is known for breaking big stories. This week, it has found itself at the center of one.

Scott Pelley, a longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent and a former anchor of “CBS Evening News,” was fired Tuesday after a contentious staff meeting where he admonished management and criticized the long-running show’s new direction.

It was the latest in a string of staffing changes and controversies since the network’s parent company was acquired last year and Bari Weiss, a former member of The New York Times opinion staff and longtime critic of legacy media, was hired to lead the news division.

Here’s how CBS and “60 Minutes” ended up here.

August 2025: CBS’ parent company, Paramount, is acquired