Scott Pelley says CBS News management pushed coverage toward Trump's viewpoint
At a Speak Up For Justice panel on 28 October, former 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley said corporate management pushed CBS News to tilt coverage toward President Trump. CBS News had not commented in the reports available.
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The story, neutrally told
Left · 2Scott Pelley, a longtime CBS News and 60 Minutes journalist, said on Wednesday 28 October that there was corporate pressure to make CBS News coverage more favourable to President Donald Trump. Raw StoryL “Veteran “60 Minutes” journalist Scott Pelley described unprecedented corporate pressure to make CBS News coverage more favorable to President Donald Trump” Read at Raw Story ↗ The IndependentLC “blasted his former employer Wednesday while appearing on a panel about truth and corporate power in journalism” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 2Speaking at a panel organised by the group Speak Up For Justice, Pelley said: "There was an imperative to move our coverage in the direction of the president to put a thumb on the scale, if you will, in terms of the president's viewpoint." The IndependentLC “There was an imperative to move our coverage in the direction of the president to put a thumb on the scale, if you will, in terms of the president's viewpoint,” he said.” Read at The Independent ↗ Raw StoryL “during a panel discussion organized by Speak Up For Justice” Read at Raw Story ↗ Left · 2Pelley described it as "corporate influence coming into the news division" asking for stories "with this particular bent, in terms of politics", and said that after almost 40 years at CBS News, almost 30 of them at 60 Minutes, they had never seen anything like it. The IndependentLC “I was at CBS News almost 40 years and at 60 Minutes almost 30 years and I had never seen anything like this.”” Read at The Independent ↗ Raw StoryL “This was corporate influence coming into the news division saying, 'We want you to report stories with this particular bent, in terms of politics’” Pelley said.” Read at Raw Story ↗
Left · 2Pelley said staff pushed back, and The Independent quotes them linking that resistance to last year's "complete gutting of 60 Minutes", which they said happened in one morning, without warning and, still today, without explanation. The IndependentLC “We pushed back against it and that led to last year, the complete gutting of 60 Minutes in which, in one morning, without warning, or still today without explanation.”” Read at The Independent ↗ Raw StoryL “we fought the battle against it,” he said. “We pushed back against it.”” Read at Raw Story ↗ Left · 1Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson, also on the panel, said Pelley's description "sounds like Fox News. That's the way opinion TV works." Raw StoryL “Wow, what he's describing sounds like Fox News.' That's the way opinion TV works,” Carlson said.” Read at Raw Story ↗ Left · 1Raw Story, citing the Guardian's media reporter Jeremy Barr, also reports that Pelley predicted a "huge consolidation" of CBS News and CNN, saying that with "$80 billion in debt" the two organisations would be "conflated into one". Raw StoryL “With $80 billion in debt, those two news organizations are going to get conflated into one – I’m quite certain,”” Read at Raw Story ↗
Left · 1The Independent says Pelley was fired from CBS in early June after reportedly telling a staff meeting that editor-in-chief Bari Weiss was "murdering 60 Minutes", according to an audio recording obtained by The New York Times. The IndependentLC ““She is murdering 60 Minutes. She does not love this place.”“Pelley was fired from CBS in early June after he reportedly accused Weiss of destroying the program.” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1Weiss, founder of The Free Press, joined CBS News a year ago after Skydance's acquisition of Paramount, and critics have accused her of shaping coverage to favour the Trump administration. The IndependentLC “joined CBS News a year ago following Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount”“critics have accused her ofshaping coverage to favor the Trump administration” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1Weiss has rejected such criticism, telling The Wall Street Journal in June that "what's being called 'editorial interference' is in reality the job description of an editor-in-chief". The IndependentLC ““What’s being called ‘editorial interference’ is in reality the job description of an editor-in-chief,” she told The Wall Street Journal in June.” Read at The Independent ↗
Left · 1Anonymous sources quoted by Page Six disagree about Weiss: one says she does not listen and no one can tell her an idea is bad, while another says most senior leaders think she brings value and is "a great listener". The Independent says it has contacted CBS News for comment. The IndependentLC ““She doesn’t hear anybody. If you don’t agree with what she’s saying or doing, it doesn’t matter.”“she is a great listener, who incorporates many other ideas and suggestions into the organization’s work,” a source told Page Six.”“The Independent has contacted CBS News for comment.” Read at The Independent ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets present Pelley's remarks as an insider's alarm about political pressure on CBS News. Raw Story leads with the Fox News comparison; The Independent ties the remarks to Bari Weiss, Pelley's firing and ratings.
- Emphasis
- Raw Story stresses the unprecedented nature of the pressure and Carlson's Fox comparison. The Independent adds Pelley's firing, Weiss's denial and anonymous insider accounts.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Raw Story gives no CBS or Weiss response and does not name Weiss or mention Pelley's firing. Neither outlet independently verifies Pelley's claim or cites specific instances of pressure.
- Charged language
- “stunning comparison”“extraordinary intrusion”“blasted”“unleashed”“anti-woke”
- For example
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“went on to describe what he characterized as an extraordinary intrusion into the newsroom.” — Raw Story
“Ex-veteran 60 Minutes correspondent unleashed on his former employer at a panel about corporate power in journalism” — The Independent
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Pelley spoke on a Speak Up For Justice panel on Wednesday 28 October.
- Pelley said there was an imperative to move CBS coverage toward the president's viewpoint, to 'put a thumb on the scale'.
- Pelley said he had never seen anything like it and that staff pushed back.
Where accounts differ
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Whether CBS News pushed coverage toward Trump
- Left
- Pelley says corporate influence demanded coverage with a political bent; critics accuse Weiss of favouring the Trump administration. Weiss has said editorial direction is an editor-in-chief's job; no CBS response to Pelley's remarks is reported.
Scott Pelley person
Says management pushed coverage toward the president's viewpoint, that staff resisted, and that it led to the gutting of 60 Minutes. Also predicts a CBS News–CNN merger.
“We pushed back against it and that led to last year, the complete gutting of 60 Minutes” — The Independent
“those two news organizations are going to get conflated into one” — Raw Story
Bari Weiss person
Has said that what critics call editorial interference is the job of an editor-in-chief. She did not respond to Pelley's latest remarks in the coverage.
““What’s being called ‘editorial interference’ is in reality the job description of an editor-in-chief,” she told The Wall Street Journal in June.” — The Independent
CBS News organisation
The Independent says it has contacted CBS News for comment; no response is reported.
“The Independent has contacted CBS News for comment.” — The Independent
Left2 articles
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CBS veteran sounds alarm over pressure to favor Trump: ‘Never seen anything like this'
Alarmist Presents Pelley's remarks as a warning from a veteran, with the Fox News comparison as the hook, and includes no response from CBS.
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Critical Casts Pelley's remarks as an attack on Weiss-led CBS News, with background on the firing, falling ratings and mixed insider views, and notes Weiss's denial.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 28 Oct 18:22 First Raw StoryL CBS veteran sounds alarm over pressure to favor Trump: ‘Never seen anything like this'
- 28 Oct 20:41 +2h 19m The IndependentLC Former 60 Minutes anchor Scott Pelley says Bari Weiss-run CBS News ordered him to ‘put the thumb on the scale’ for Trump
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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