Petition: Thank Scott Pelley for Defending 60 Minutes

Scott Pelley deserves thanks for speaking out as one of America’s most respected news programs faces an unprecedented threat. Reports that CBS leadership under Bari Weiss and the Ellison family is scaling back, restructuring, and effectively dismantling key parts of 60 Minutes are about more than corporate management—they strike at one of the last major institutions dedicated to hard-hitting investigative journalism. For decades, 60 Minutes has held presidents, corporations, and powerful interests accountable. Weakening it weakens the public’s ability to learn the truth.

Too often, media owners respond to political pressure by cutting investigative resources, softening coverage, or reshaping newsrooms to avoid conflict with those in power. That appears to be exactly what is happening as 60 Minutes faces mounting interference and uncertainty. At a moment when Donald Trump and his allies are escalating attacks on the press, dismantling one of the country's premier investigative programs sends a dangerous message: that accountability journalism is expendable.

We thank Scott Pelley for refusing to stay silent and for defending the mission of 60 Minutes when it matters most. News organizations should follow his example by standing up for editorial independence, protecting investigative reporting, and resisting political and corporate pressure. Democracy needs more journalism like 60 Minutes—not less.