Bari Weiss of New York Times and Free Press fame has recently taken on the editors-in-chief role at CBS News, a position she took on last October. Her appointment comes amid a larger leadership reorganization at the network after its merger with Paramount. The experience—which has already been characterized by unprecedented challenges and public scrutiny—does not bode well for Weiss’s tenure.
In December, CBS News was rightly pilloried for this. They quashed a prominent and important exposé by 60 Minutes of a violent and abusive Supermax prison in El Salvador. The network noted that the Trump administration’s failure to respond was central to halting the investigation. For this reason, they have chosen to suspend their campaign. This decision has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters, raising questions about the integrity of CBS News under its new leadership.
In December, Weiss led a really creative and dynamic town hall event. It included Erika Kirk, widow of reactionary activist Charlie Kirk, pouring gas on the culture war fire. The event is said to have drawn underwhelming ratings, adding to worries about Weiss’s impact on rebuilding CBS News.
Paramount’s recent $16 million settlement with Donald Trump over a CBS 60 Minutes interview during the 2024 election has added to the network’s troubles. That interview with then-vice president Kamala Harris helped Trump’s efforts to get a second presidential term from his party’s base. Additionally, it highlights the challenges and ramifications of CBS’s editorial choices.
Concerned critics CBS News has been at the forefront of investigative and political reporting. They contend that the network’s decision to air the program has sullied its journalistic reputation. This attitude is a continuation of long-held attitudes toward journalism. It mentions, in particular, Ed Murrow, the legendary CBS Radio journalist known for his courageous reporting from World War II. Many of Murrow’s most ardent supporters would tell you that the values he championed are nowhere to be found among the current leadership.
David Letterman, veteran late-night television host, has been very frank about his worries for the current state of CBS News. He stated emphatically,
“CBS News is a wreck – it’s just gone.” – David Letterman
Letterman added to this critique of late-night TV, too, suggesting that some voices are sorely missed on center stage. He took his fellow late night hosts to task for failing to adequately address political issues, while lauding Seth Meyers’ approach.
“If we had a president … who was a Democrat and behaved the way this Republican president is behaving, Jimmy would be attacking the Democrat just as much as he attacks,” Letterman pointed out, emphasizing that criticism is based more on behavior than political affiliation.
The criticisms levied against CBS News reach much further than the company’s internal operations. They detail a troubling reality across the media landscape. Prominent late-night hosts such as Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert have helped keep the pressure up by taking to the airwaves to discuss the threat to the network’s independence. Indeed, Letterman commented on Kimmel’s industry iconoclasm, saying,
“What people don’t understand [is] Jimmy Kimmel single-handedly brought the people at Disney, and all of those other network television owners, to their knees.” – David Letterman
CBS News is currently experiencing an unstable wave periodoin under Weiss’s direction. Indeed, it will be critical to watch how the network meets those future and increasingly daunting challenges. Whether its practitioners optimize for convenience or quality, the choices made at this dynamic tipping point will determine its legacy and journalistic bona fides for decades.