— Jennifer Garner, describing her relationship with her latest on-screen co-star. Maybe this is the duo we needed?
Media
Is 60 Minutes Running Out of Time?
What’s going on: It's a fundamental rule that journalists should never become the story, but CBS just can't help itself. Earlier this week, veteran 60 Minutes news anchor Scott Pelley was ousted by the network after a heated exchange with newly hired executive producer Nick Bilton. In leaked audio obtained by The New York Times, Pelley had words for Bilton and accused CBS Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss of “murdering” the show — and then his coworkers clapped. While it may sound like everyone’s fantasy resignation, Bilton said Pelley was fired “for cause.” But Pelley posted a lengthy statement on social media claiming that the network instructed him “to inject falsehood and bias” into his reporting to curry favor with President Donald Trump’s administration. His departure follows several high-profile firings, not to mention former executive producer Bill Owens, who cited a loss of editorial independence when he resigned. Luckily, Pelley has an intriguing option for his next gig.
Sounds messy: It is. And it's part of a broader pattern. Throughout his second term, Trump has aggressively targeted news outlets and reporters that don’t share his views. He regularly exerts pressure through lawsuits, funding cuts, an official list of “media offenders of the week,” and sexist insults targeting women reporters. On Tuesday, he celebrated the “taking out” of CBS’s “REALLY DUMB Stephen Colbert” in a lengthy Truth Social post. CBS maintains that its cancellation of The Late Show came down to finances, but not everyone buys it. Critics compare Trump’s approach to authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin, who threaten the freedom of the press with little pushback from media corporations. As one media analyst put it, “everyone immediately surrenders.”
