CBS' Scott Pelley to emcee IRE's 50th Anniversary Gala

(July 11, 2025) — Scott Pelley, the longtime and highly regarded correspondent for CBS’ 60 Minutes, will serve as master of ceremonies for the Investigative Reporters and Editors 50th Anniversary Gala this September.

Pelley, winner of 52 Emmy Awards, has garnered attention this year for his forceful defense of journalism in the face of attacks and pressure from the Trump Administration. In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper last month, Pelley said journalism “is the only thing that’s going to save the country. You cannot have democracy without journalism. It can’t be done.”

Pelley has been a reporter at CBS for more than 35 years, and a correspondent for 60 Minutes since 1999. From 2011 to 2017, he also served as anchor of The CBS Evening News. He has also been publicly critical of CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, for interfering with coverage and engaging in settlement talks with President Trump in a lawsuit Trump filed against CBS.

“Scott Pelley is the perfect person to emcee this special celebration of investigative journalism,” said Brian M. Rosenthal, IRE’s Board Chair and New York Times investigative reporter. “His outstanding career and courageous defense of our field have inspired many of us doing the work of journalism day in and day out.”

The 50th Anniversary Gala, the first such fundraiser in IRE’s history, will take place Sept. 15 at Gotham Hall in New York. Co-chairs of the event are Paul Sagan, chair of ProPublica; A.G. Sulzberger, publisher and chairman of The New York Times; and Judy Woodruff, senior correspondent, former anchor and managing editor of PBS News.

The 50th Anniversary Gala is a fundraiser, with tables starting at $10,000 and individual tickets at $1,500. Find more information here or send an email to Jill Vanzino at jvanzino@inezevents.com.

Funds raised will go toward the nonprofit organization’s training programs.

Among the honorees who will be recognized at the gala are Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame; Julie K. Brown, the Miami Herald reporter who broke the Jeffrey Epstein scandal; and Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, the New York Times reporters who uncovered the stories about Harvey Weinstein and workplace sexual harassment.

“These stars of journalism, who all received training at IRE, exemplify the power and future of journalism, the very foundation of democracy,” said IRE Executive Director Diana Fuentes. “We are proud to celebrate their contributions to our industry and look forward to a memorable evening reflecting the heart and soul and never-quit passion for truth we all share.”