Tony Dokoupil took to CBS Evening News to pay tribute to Scott Pelley following the latter's firing on Tuesday, highlighting Pelley's commitment to journalistic integrity.
Pelley's Influence at CBS
Dokoupil, who became the anchor of the evening newscast under CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss last year, praised Pelley during Wednesday's broadcast. He stated, "When I started at CBS, Scott Pelley was in this very chair, and still doing a dozen stories a year for 60 Minutes. And amid all of that, still meeting every new correspondent to share his view of the mission here."
He continued, "He believed freedom of the press, to quote [James] Madison, was 'the right that guaranteed all the others.' And the stakes are always that high in that, if you'd made it to CBS News, you were among the best in the world. He worked every single day to live up to that standard."
A Storied Career
A montage of Pelley's work was aired, showcasing his coverage of 9/11, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Russia-Ukraine War, and multiple presidential interviews. Pelley joined CBS in 1989 and accumulated numerous Emmys over his career.
Dokoupil noted, "He was in some ways a man from another era, and that's not a knock. He didn't watch the competition, he said, because he knew who he was. A journalist who valued truth at all costs. And always kept alive the memory of colleagues killed in the field — a reminder that his chosen line of work could be a dangerous one."
Changes and Departure
Dokoupil concluded by mentioning how Pelley altered the CBS Evening News logo from "with Scott Pelley" to "with all of us," adding, "Well, Scott, from all of us, thank you."
On Tuesday, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Pelley was fired after a conflict with the show's new executive producer, Nick Bilton. Pelley criticized Weiss, claiming she was "murdering 60 Minutes."
Following his dismissal, Pelley issued a statement condemning the new management's "incompetence and unprofessionalism," asserting that the collapse of values had become "untenable." He declared, "The leadership of 60 Minutes is no longer recognizable. The principles I hold dear are gone, and so I must leave as well."
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/tony-dokoupil-tribute-fired-scott-pelley-cbs-evening-news-1236613303/
