Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr has entered the ongoing controversy surrounding the dismissal of veteran CBS journalist Scott Pelley from 60 Minutes, offering sharp criticism of the longtime correspondent's conduct.
Carr, who has served as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission since 2025, posted his remarks via social media on Sunday, June 7. The statement came one day after Pelley conducted his first interview following his termination from the long-running CBS news program.
"One of the reasons why trust in media is so low is because many legacy journalists are completely out of touch," Carr wrote in his public post. The 47-year-old FCC Chairman continued his criticism, adding, "You could not get away with that behavior at any run of the mill job. It is revealing to see how blind some are to that."
The remarks reference Pelley's recent interview with Lulu Garcia-Navarro, published by The New York Times on Saturday, June 6. During that conversation, the 68-year-old journalist discussed his perspective on his termination and raised concerns about editorial direction at CBS News and its parent company, Paramount.
"My hope is that the leadership at Paramount will say to themselves, 'OK, this isn't working. We have respected journalists saying that there is a thumb on the scale of one political party over another," Pelley told The New York Times. "There's a subtle political bias that I've never seen."
Pelley's contract with CBS was terminated on Tuesday, June 2, following what has been described as a verbal confrontation involving additional staff members and 60 Minutes executive producer Nick Bilton. The 49-year-old Bilton, who joined the program alongside CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss in October, characterized Pelley's words during the confrontation as an "ambush" in a subsequent memo.
The dismissal ended Pelley's 37-year tenure with CBS, during which he held various roles across the network. In a statement released following his termination, Pelley reflected on his time with the organization.
"I depart after 37 years at CBS with one emotion — a heart brimming with gratitude for the men and women of CBS News who encouraged and enriched my work, very often at the risk of their own lives," the statement read. "I pray for a day when those people and their ideals are honored again — a day when sanity, competence and courage return."
According to sources speaking to Us Weekly, the atmosphere within CBS News has deteriorated significantly following the incident. "Morale is terrible," an insider told the publication. "No one knows what to believe or who is working against them. It has never been like this before."
The source added that staff members in the newsroom feel unable to trust their colleagues, asking, "How can you work like that?"
The controversy highlights broader tensions within legacy media organizations as they navigate questions of editorial independence, workplace conduct, and leadership transitions. Carr's public commentary, coming from the head of the federal agency responsible for regulating broadcast communications, adds another dimension to the ongoing debate about journalism standards and professional accountability in the modern media landscape.