Former CBS News Anchor’s ‘Cronkite Awards’ Remarks Quietly Drop Hints of Improvement in Legacy Media – RedState
Reporter Scott Pelley has been a mainstay of CBS News and someone people might know as a 60 Minutes correspondent, although he was once an anchor on the network’s national evening newscast.
On Friday, he won one of the 2025 Walter Cronkite Awards, given “every two years by USC.” [University of Southern California] Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.” This year’s theme, which is very progressive, will probably not shock readers:
This year’s competition solicited entries demonstrating how a free press defends democracy.
…
At a time when numerous independent polls show that an overwhelming majority of Americans are deeply concerned about the future of democracy, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Political Journalism in Television and Digital Media recognizes journalists whose work illustrates the role of a free press in protecting constitutional principles, upholding the rule of law, and holding power to account.
I think it’s crucial to recognize the basic tone of the event before moving on. We’ll hear more about what Pelley had to say in a minute.
Another Walter Cronkite Award winner, John Dickerson, recently left his own job at CBS, after serving in the same news anchor position as his colleague.
Before the ceremony, held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Dickerson said the honored program, CBS Evening News Plus, had already left the airwaves, writing in a Facebook post above a screenshot of USC Annenberg’s announcement.
“We won a Cronkite Award today for essays on Evening News Plus, which went off the air last Friday.”
Back to Scott Pelley. During his speech Friday afternoon, he launched an obligatory attack on the Trump administration over the alleged destruction of press freedom:
Scott Pelley of 60 Minutes says they can’t attract people to the show because of “the fear that has spread across the country.”
He then congratulates himself on having persevered in the face of such immense difficulties.
The importance that these propaganda hacks still give… pic.twitter.com/WeN6IskOIu
– Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) December 12, 2025
Of course, this is the self-righteous, self-righteous talk we’re used to hearing, including a not-so-veiled reference to the left’s precious war on journalism and/or democracy as we know it, thanks to mean old Donald Trump.
But many of the reporter’s remarks were positive, including on the major changes taking place at CBS parent company Paramount, according to Guardian media editor Jeremy Barr:
Accepting a Cronkite Award this afternoon in Washington, D.C., Scott Pelley said the following about the current season of 60 Minutes: “Our company is now the new Paramount, and we were all very worried at 60 Minutes about what that meant. It’s still early, but what I can tell you is…
– Jérémy Barr (@jeremymbarr) December 12, 2025
“It’s still early, but what I can tell you is that we’re doing the same kinds of stories with the same kind of rigor, and we’ve had no corporate interference of any kind.”
Pelley, even while expressing dismay at the departure of some of his 60 Minutes colleagues from CBS after the previous season, was optimistic about his freedom to do the work his team wants:
Pelley said it was “heartbreaking” for the 60 Min team to lose Bill Owens and Wendy McMahon.
“However, I will say that, during this season, last season, all of our stories aired. We aired them all with absolute minimum interference – nothing that would alarm anyone in this room.”
SEE: The superb question asked by Bari Weiss to the speechless 60 Minutes team
New CBS boss may be looking to recruit talent from other networks – One name will drive the left crazy
As he sorted things out, the boss didn’t land a big name from another much-rumored network (Anderson Cooper signed a new deal with CNN a few days ago).
But it could have been someone else. Weiss’ most recent move—a coup of sorts—was to poach ABC News national correspondent Matt Gutman for the same role at CBS, as the NY Post exclusively reported this week:
CBS News taps ABC News reporter Matt Gutman for ‘major role’ after being ‘relentlessly pursued’ by Bari Weiss: sources https://t.co/RVmp7K1u94 pic.twitter.com/NqFJWp5foI
– New York Post (@nypost) December 8, 2025
On Friday, as my colleague at sister site Hot Air, David Strom, noted, there were also some familiar faces, albeit unusual ones in one case: MS NOW’s Rachel Maddow and comedian Jon Stewart of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show.
1- Jon Stewart and Rachel Maddow will be among the honorees Friday as USC Annenberg presents its Walter Cronkite Awards for excellence in political journalism. Additionally, honorees include Scott Pelley of 60 Minutes, Peter Alexander of NBC News, pic.twitter.com/5p5zkm3ehW
-Howodd Prince (@Howodd69) December 10, 2025
User X above wrote in a thread that “[i]Additionally, honorees will include Scott Pelley of 60 Minutes, Peter Alexander of NBC News, Julio Vaqueiro of Noticias Telemundo, PBS NewsHour and John Dickerson, who recently announced his departure from the network, having recently served as anchor of the CBS Evening News.
Strom wrote
But, as USC’s Annenberg School of Journalism proves, journalists now think being a referee means being a booster for your team.
Stewart, one would hope, would admit that he is a comedian and not a journalist. Like many comics, he uses his platform to make political points, but I have a secret hope that when he accepts his award, he will mock the Annenberg School for giving it to him.
While Pelley’s words might signal small steps in how mainstream media is improving in Trump’s golden age, so to speak, I won’t hold my breath for Stewart to show humility in this matter.
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