Scott Pelley, Sharyn Alfonsi named journalists-in-residence at Columbia J-school

Former “60 Minutes” correspondents Scott Pelley and Sharyn Alfonsi will join Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism as journalists-in-residence for the 2026-27 academic year.

The appointments, announced Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, give Pelley and Alfonsi their first major public roles since leaving CBS News during an overhaul of the network’s flagship newsmagazine.

At Columbia Journalism School in New York, New York, the veteran correspondents will participate in lectures, workshops and special events addressing reporting, investigative journalism and source development. Each will also write an article for the “Columbia Journalism Review.”

Dean Jelani Cobb said the appointments will give students an opportunity to learn from two journalists with extensive experience producing investigative and accountability reporting.

“Their distinguished track records in investigative reporting highlight the amazing opportunity our students will have to learn from them,” Cobb said in a statement.

The positions are part of the school’s CJS2030: Democracy Initiative, which includes coursework and programs designed to strengthen investigative techniques and reporting that holds institutions and public officials accountable.

Pelley and Alfonsi left “60 Minutes” amid changes led by CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss and executive producer Nick Bilton. Bilton replaced longtime executive producer Tanya Simon as the program reshaped its editorial leadership and correspondent lineup.

Alfonsi joined “60 Minutes” in 2015 after working for CBS News and ABC News. Her reporting for the program covered immigration, politics, public health and criminal justice, earning honors that included Emmy Awards and an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award.

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Alfonsi said the Columbia position comes as news organizations face growing pressure to produce rigorous reporting and hold powerful institutions accountable.

“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.

Pelley spent 37 years at CBS News and more than two decades as a correspondent for “60 Minutes.” He joined CBS News in 1989 and became a correspondent for the Sunday edition of “60 Minutes” in 2004 after previously working for “60 Minutes II.”

Pelley also served as anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News” from 2011 to 2017. His assignments included presidential administrations, armed conflicts and major international events.

“This is a critical time for a free press,” Pelley said. “Columbia is leading the way in training the next generation of great journalists, and I am honored to join Sharyn in that vital cause.”