Remember when CBS News was the gold standard of American journalism? Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow, 60 Minutes investigations that actually changed things?
Yeah, those days are looking increasingly distant.
According to a Variety report citing ten insiders, CBS News is "veering toward dysfunction" under editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, with one expert warning the organization faces a potential "death spiral." And honestly? I believe it.
Weiss - who made her name as a contrarian opinion writer and founder of the Substack The Free Press - took over CBS News in October 2024. Less than six months later, the cracks are showing.
The problems are both specific and systemic. Weiss initially blocked a 60 Minutes segment by reporter Sharyn Alfonsi about Venezuelan deportees being sent to a brutal El Salvador prison - demanding on-camera responses from Trump administration officials despite the reporting team having made good-faith outreach efforts. The segment eventually aired with additional commentary, though sources say "timing was inopportune."
Then there's CBS Evening News, which cycled to its fifth anchor since 2017 with Tony Dokoupil's rushed onboarding. Segments have included awkward celebrations of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and downplaying of vaccine protocol changes and January 6th severity - editorial choices that feel more aligned with Weiss's ideological brand than CBS News's institutional standards.
Staff morale is reportedly cratering. Employees say with editorial decisions, changing course unexpectedly. As one staffer told Variety: but feel exhausted by constant directional shifts. Veterans perceive her lacking mainstream media management experience, creating widespread skepticism about her oversight of flagship programs.
