Published: June 3, 2026 β’ 11:28 PM IST Β· Updated: June 4, 2026 β’ 12:42 AM ISTBy TheBriefWire Editorial Team
Key points
Firings at CBS' '60 Minutes' reflect the fight for media control in the age of Trump toggle caption CBS Photo Archive/CBS via Getty Images/CBS Stay up to date with our Up First newsletter sent every weekday morning.
When CBS fired Scott Pelley on Tuesday night, the new 60 Minutes executive producer, Nick Bilton, told Pelley it was for insubordination at a staff meeting the day before.
The veteran correspondent argues he was defending the DNA of 60 Minutes and the integrity of its journalism.
The battle royale over the network's most prestigious and profitable news program is part of a broader fight over the direction of CBS News.
And given CBS's acquisition by a billionaire family whose business interests have become intertwined with the political interests of President Trump, it reflects a larger war over control of the media in the current moment.