Scott Pelley, anchor of “60 Minutes” on CBS News, openly criticized the network’s parent company, Paramount, for supervising coverage related to Donald Trump.
Following the departure of “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens, anchor Scott Pelley used the moment to praise his former boss and call out the stance of Paramount, which owns CBS News.
According to Pelley, Paramount is finalizing a merger that still requires approval from the Trump administration. As a result, the company has begun overseeing editorial content.
“None of our reports were blocked, but Bill felt he had lost the independence that honest journalism demands,” Pelley said.
“No one here is happy about it, but by resigning, Bill proved one thing: he was always the right person to lead ‘60 Minutes,’” the anchor continued.
In his remarks, Scott Pelley noted that Bill had covered many controversial topics. “He covered the world, war zones, the White House — his mission was to open minds, not close them,” said Pelley.
According to the anchor, Owens chose to step away from the program because he felt it was losing its “independence.”
Donald Trump has previously criticized “60 Minutes” and claimed that CBS interfered with the election after a 2024 interview with candidate Kamala Harris.
+Watch Scott Pelley’s statement here
Photos: YouTube 60 Minutes Instagram @realdonaldtrump. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
