CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil has honoured former colleague Scott Pelley, who was fired from '60 Minutes' on Tuesday after a heated confrontation with the show's new executive producer, Nick Bilton.
During Wednesday's broadcast, Dokoupil recalled Pelley's dedication to journalism, saying: 'When I started at CBS, Scott Pelley was in this very chair, and still doing a dozen stories a year for '60 Minutes.' He added that Pelley believed freedom of the press was 'the right that guaranteed all the others' and worked daily to uphold the highest standards.
Dokoupil described Pelley as 'a man from another era' and 'a journalist who valued truth at all costs.' The tribute included a video montage of Pelley's career highlights.
Pelley was dismissed after clashing with Bilton, who was appointed by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. Weiss has also fired longtime executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi. Dokoupil's remarks are notable given that Weiss appointed him to the Evening News role.
Former '60 Minutes' correspondent Steve Kroft also criticised the changes, telling PBS NewsHour that Weiss's direction has been 'disastrous' and amounts to 'journalistic interference.'
