Scott Pelley Firing Sparks Outrage – and Cheers – From Pundits Online

(Photo by Corine Solberg/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

The abrupt firing of veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley on Tuesday triggered a wave of reaction online from journalists and pundits, some outraged and some cheering, as the unfolding episode inside CBS News finally came to an end.

Pelley was dismissed Tuesday by newly installed 60 Minutes executive producer Nick Bilton, one day after speaking out during a staff meeting to rail against the network’s leadership and accuse CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss of “murdering” the show.

Behind-the-scenes tensions and fallout, including a string of high-profile departures, has come amid a slew of changes made since Weiss was installed following Paramount’s takeover of the network.

Despite Bilton’s attempts to meet with Pelley and resolve their frustrations, the impasse came to a head when the correspondent was fired.

In a sharply worded letter, Bilton called out Pelley’s “misconduct,” which he said displayed an “antipathy” towards “the future of the show” before informing him of his firing.

In a statement reacting to his firing, Pelley blasted the network’s leadership for attempting to “curry favor” with President Donald Trump and claimed he was encouraged to “inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story.”

Bilton’s letter informing Pelley of his dismissal and the fired correspondent’s own statement ricocheted across social media, prompting reactions from gloating celebration to shock and rage.

The Bulwark’s Tim Miller warned that Pelley’s departure would result in 60 Minutes evolving into a “Sunday morning show”:

Liberal pundit Harry Sisson praised Pelley for standing up to “right wing grifters”:

OutKick’s Clay Travis observed that Pelley’s privileged place in media, and his salary, were a thing of the past anyway:

Megyn Kelly jabbed at Bilton’s long-winded and grievance-filled letter of dismissal:

Kelly’s producer, Steve Krakauer, meanwhile, joined other conservatives in cheering Pelley’s firing:

As for what comes next for Pelley, Fox News’ Joe Concha predicts a CNN gig or a podcast.”

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