Scott Pelley and Sharyn Alfonsi have landed prestigious roles just weeks after being ousted from CBS News following a bitter internal civil war.
Former '60 Minutes' correspondents Scott Pelley and Sharyn Alfonsi have resurfaced at Columbia Journalism School after their dramatic exits from CBS News, taking up prestigious journalist-in-residence positions at the university. This follows one of the biggest newsroom shakeups in the program's history.
The pair, both dismissed after clashes with new CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss during a sweeping overhaul of the iconic news magazine, will spend the 2026–27 academic year mentoring journalism students, leading workshops and lectures, and contributing to the Columbia Journalism Review. The appointments mark an extraordinary next chapter for two journalists whose high-profile departures capped months of public infighting that rocked one of America's most recognizable news programs.
Pelley was fired in June after an explosive confrontation with CBS management during what was intended to be new executive producer Nick Bilton's introductory meeting with staff. According to reports, Pelley accused Weiss of "murdering 60 Minutes" and claimed she had been brought in "to kill it."
He also reportedly told Bilton he had "slender qualifications" for the role because of his lack of traditional television news experience. Bilton responded in a memo accusing Pelley of hijacking the meeting and creating unnecessary public drama instead of helping move the program forward.
Alfonsi's departure followed months of tensions after she publicly criticized Weiss over the delayed broadcast of her report on El Salvador's CECOT prison. In a memo that quickly leaked to the press, Alfonsi accused Weiss of shelving the investigation for political reasons rather than editorial concerns. CBS maintained the segment required additional reporting before it ultimately aired several months later.
"This is a critical time for a free press," Pelley said in a statement. "Columbia is leading the way in training the next generation of great journalists, and I am honored to join Sharyn in that vital cause."
Ross Douthat has been announced as a new anchor for the long-running news magazine after a stint as a columnist at The New York Times.
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