Plus: Brands take smaller role in Pride; Uber puts limits on AI use due to cost; T-Mobile seeks to become a lifestyle brand.
The leaks coming out of the storied newsroom of “60 Minutes” are acrimonious, specific and voluminous.
The newsroom had been in turmoil for some time, since controversial CBS News leader Bari Weiss arrived with a plan to shake things up — and, some journalists say, apply a new right-ward slant to their reporting.
The prestigious newsroom had already been roiled by accusations Weiss had meddled in reporting when she insisted a piece on a Salvadoran prison get more comment from the Trump administration before running. But now, with the appointment of new “60 Minutes” executive producer Nick Bilton, the situation has exploded.
During Bilton’s first meeting with staff, correspondent Scott Pelley openly challenged the tech journalist, who has no TV experience.
According to a leaked recording of the whole meeting, Pelley openly disparaged Bilton at the meeting, questioning his qualifications, saying he would “never be welcome” and accusing Weiss of “murdering” the show after the firings of the former executive producer and several correspondents.
A day later, Pelley was fired — and his termination letter leaked in full. The letter claimed Pelley had declined several overtures from Bilton, both before and after the meeting.
The letter, signed by Bilton, said that Pelley’s conduct during the meeting “demonstrated that you have no interest in contributing to the future success of the show, or approaching my new tenure with a mind open to collaboration and progress.”
Pelley told the New York Times the letter “betrays a complete misunderstanding of what we work for and what we live for at ‘60 Minutes.’”
Why it matters:
Messy!
It’s not uncommon for there to be drama and high emotion after a new leader takes over, especially when there’s just been a house cleaning. However, this is unique in that it is all playing out, in incredible detail, in the public eye.
Part of that is the unique nature of working with journalists, who are accustomed to reporting on meetings and comfortable sending information to other reporters. But it also shows just how hostile this group of employees is and how difficult the road ahead will be for Bilton and Weiss.
From a public relations perspective, this information could certainly be alienating to CBS’ core audience of news consumers who may like the familiar faces on its screen. However, Weiss has been clear she’s leading CBS in a new direction and wants to widen its audience base to include those who distrust the existing “60 Minutes” staff and might see Weiss and Bilton’s actions as starting with a clean slate.
Ultimately, the question is: Can they rebuild the alienated audience quickly enough to bring in a newer, bigger audience? And what staff will remain to do the work?
Editor’s Top Reads:
• As Pride month gets underway, local events are adjusting to new, lower levels of corporate support. After years of growth, the second Trump administration and its crackdown on LGTBQ+ rights as well as backlash against companies involved in trans activism led to a steep decline in corporate participation in Pride events. The WSJ reports that while some companies are still involved in Pride, it’s in a stripped-down capacity. Rather than writing a big check, perhaps they’re sponsoring a hundred employees to walk in the parade, like Mastercard, or handing out coffee to marchers, as Starbucks is. Keeping some visibility in events is likely a wise idea for brands that see LGTBQ+ or liberal customers or employees as core constituencies. But this is an opportunity for other brands that have had a moderate presence to make a bigger splash as other brands step back. A modest investment could lead to more bang for your buck, if the target demographic makes sense for your organization.
- Uber is putting limits on employee use of AI tools after eating up its annual AI budget just four months into 2026. TechCrunch reports that the company had aggressively encouraged adoption of AI tools, particularly Anthropic’s Claude Code, “as much as possible,” but the costs escalated much faster than expected. Uber’s leadership has since acknowledged that while AI usage was booming throughout the company, it has been difficult to prove a direct connection between higher AI spending and actual ROI. Now, each employee will have a monthly $1500 per person cap for each agentic tool they’re using, the outlet says. Uber’s experience is a cautionary tale for organizations in similar situations. For the past couple years, companies have focused efforts on adoption, asking questions like, “How many employees are using AI?” But now the discussion has moved to asking what real business value is being created from that use? Teams are often encouraged to experiment with AI, but there are few guardrails around where AI should be used, what success looks like or how outcomes will be measured. As seen here, this can result in employees using dozens of tools without a clear understanding of whether they’re improving work or just generating more activity. This is why AI governance is just as critical as adoption. Instead of encouraging widespread use, companies should develop more concrete AI frameworks that will show how its use ladders up to business outcomes.
- T-Mobile is increasingly trying to expand as a lifestyle brand. According to Bloomberg, ahead of its 10-year anniversary, the company is investing more heavily in perks, experiences and entertainment deals designed to deepen customer relationships. This includes things like concert tickets, travel perks, free restaurant meals, sports games and exclusive experiences available through programs such as T-Mobile Tuesdays, a longstanding weekly promotion that goes live every Tuesday at 12 a.m. Rather than focusing on its coverage, prices or high-tech services, T-Mobile said it wants customers to feel like they’re part of more experiences. CMO Allan Samson said T-Mobile has long sought to get customers to think of the company as more than a phone carrier and “change it from an industry perspective to a service and a relationship with a company that you enjoyed, and that the points of contact were more frequent than every two or three years when you wanted a phone and every year or two when they raised your bill.” More and more, brands are emphasizing participation as a critical step between a purchase and loyalty. This is because they’re trying to give customers something to do with the brand after they buy. Customers, too, increasingly want more ways to engage and become a part of a brand’s story. It creates a deeper connection. And when a brand resonates more emotionally, there’s usually a better chance for lasting loyalty.
Allison Carter is editorial director of PR Daily and Ragan.com. Follow her on LinkedIn.
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