Steve Kroft, a veteran correspondent who retired from ’60 Minutes’ in 2019, has voiced strong criticism against CBS News for its recent decision to fire Scott Pelley and other staff members. Kroft described the move as ‘disastrous’ for both the show and its audience, which he emphasized is significant in size. He expressed these views during an interview with Geoff Bennett on PBS NewsHour.

Changes at CBS News

The firing of Scott Pelley is part of a broader shake-up at CBS News, led by Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss. Alongside Pelley, executive producer Tanya Simon was replaced by tech journalist Nick Bilton, and other key figures like Draggan Mihailovich, Cecilia Vega, and Sharyn Alfonsi were also let go. Pelley openly criticized these changes in a staff meeting, accusing Weiss of ‘murdering’ the show and questioning Bilton’s qualifications.

Impact on ’60 Minutes’

Kroft, who spent 30 seasons with ’60 Minutes’ and earned numerous awards, including three Peabody Awards and nine Emmys, believes the show’s future is uncertain. He noted that the new management aims to shift the program’s format, despite its recent 9% increase in audience size. Kroft linked these changes to a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against CBS News over a 2024 interview with Kamala Harris, which Trump claimed was biased. Although legal experts considered the claims baseless, the lawsuit was taken seriously due to Paramount’s merger with Skydance Media, which required government approval.

Kroft expressed skepticism about the show’s direction, stating, ‘It seems almost impossible for me to imagine what kind of a show they can put on in September.’ The changes have reportedly created a climate of intimidation, with staff members wary of suggesting stories that might be critical of the Trump administration.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.