Ousted Anti-Trump ’60 Minutes’ Star Lands Ivy League Gig

Columbia Journalism School has appointed former “60 Minutes” correspondents Scott Pelley and Sharyn Alfonsi as Journalists in Residence for the 2026–27 academic year.

The announcements were made as part of the CJS2030: Democracy Initiative, which it described as “a pillar of Dean Jelani Cobb’s vision for the J-School’s next decade.” The initiative was described as drawing on classroom training and the work of CJS centers to strengthen accountability reporting and journalism’s role in sustaining democracy.”

During their residency, both journalists “will work closely with students, individually and as a group, through lectures, workshops and special events designed to sharpen their reporting, investigative and sourcing skills.” Columbia added that they “will also each contribute a piece to the Columbia Journalism Review.”

The statement continued, “Their appointments give CJS students access to two journalists whose reporting has shaped the national conversation for decades. Alfonsi and Pelley have covered many of the defining stories of our time—from war and politics to public health, criminal justice and international affairs.”

Dean Jelani Cobb said the school was excited and honored to welcome two journalists of this caliber to its Journalist in Residence Program. He pointed to their distinguished track records in investigative reporting and long-term experience in investigative reporting as valuable assets for students.

He said he reached out to Pelley the day after the correspondent left “60 Minutes” and that the arrangements with both were finalized several weeks before the public announcement.

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Here's a brief montage of some of Scott Pelley's obnoxious outbursts from his time at @CBSNews pic.twitter.com/vaQM2O5s6k

— Geoffrey Dickens (@GCDickens) June 3, 2026

According to the school, Alfonsi brings more than three decades of broadcast reporting experience. She began in local news in 1994, later served as a correspondent for CBS News and ABC News covering major domestic and international stories, and joined “60 Minutes” as a correspondent in 2015.

“Joining Columbia University as a Journalist in Residence is an extraordinary privilege, especially at a time when deep, rigorous and fearless reporting has never been more vital. I’m excited to work with the next generation of journalists who are eager to ask the tough questions that hold power accountable,” she said.

The announcement comes just weeks after Pelley left CBS after 27 years as a “60 Minutes” correspondent when his employment was terminated for cause. His departure followed a staff meeting in which he interrupted the new executive producer, questioned the qualifications of both the producer and CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, and stated that Weiss was “murdering ‘60 Minutes.’”

Network executives described his conduct as a display of hostility and antipathy toward the future of the program. In the period leading up to the exit, Pelley had repeatedly objected to management decisions on coverage and corporate actions involving President Donald Trump, including the settlement of a lawsuit against the network due to a selectively-edited interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.

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