Scott Pelley Might Not Be the Only Person to Exit CBS News

Matt Vespa | June 04, 2026 3:30 PM

CBS News’ Scott Pelley couldn’t work with editor-in-chief Bari Weiss or the new team at 60 Minutes. There was a sort of mass purge, and Pelley wasn’t going to accept the changes. He criticized Weiss and the others and was fired on Tuesday. It followed an intense meeting between the CBS anchor and management. He also might not be the last to leave; two other reporters could follow. The network will reportedly allow them to leave without the drama of a termination notice (via NY Post):

CBS News insiders are speculating that “60 Minutes” correspondents Bill Whitaker and Lesley Stahl are the next to exit the storied program following fired journalist Scott Pelley out the door, The Post has learned.
A source close to the situation said Whitaker could make his move as soon as Wednesday.
“I think Bill is next,” said a source close to the network. “Lesley is keeping quiet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she left.”
[…]
“Lesley and Bill will be behind him,” said another CBS insider, who noted that Pelley’s exit has put immense pressure on the veteran correspondents to follow suit.
Stahl, 84, and Whitaker, 74, are two of the oldest members of the show and have long been rumored to be mulling their retirements.
Now, the abrupt exit of Pelley and last week’s bloodbath — which claimed correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega as well as former “60 Minutes” boss Tanya Simon and top producers Draggan Mihailovich, Guy Campanile and Matthew Polevoy — has raised fresh speculation.
A second CBS insider said CBS News top brass are allowing Stahl and Whitaker to leave on their own terms, noting that with all the recent departures, the network has saved enough money to bring in fresh blood to reinvigorate the show.