On Friday, Wendy McMahon, the recently installed chief executive of CBS News, announced her resignation. Her tenure in the role was overshadowed by major internal conflict and turmoil from legal battles that continue to dog former President Donald Trump, who appointed her to the role. McMahon, who has headed the news division since 2023, replaces Hill. She pointed to a lack of alignment in vision between her and the firm as the major factor for her early exit.
In a memo shared with several media outlets and widely circulated on social media, McMahon stated, “It’s become clear the company and I do not agree on the path forward.” She expressed her belief that it was time for new leadership to guide CBS News into its next chapter, adding, “It’s time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership.”
Tensions at CBS News had been simmering throughout the past few months, with McMahon calling the atmosphere “challenging.” In April, Bill Owens, the head of programming at CBS, publicly announced his resignation. He alleged that, in the eyes of the journalism world, the flagship program “60 Minutes” had compromised its editorial integrity. His departure memo went viral on the internet as well, capturing and amplifying fears of the change in editorial direction of the news division.
Scott Pelley, CBS’s veteran news anchor, welcomed Owens’s departure in an on-air commentary. He remarked, “Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways,” and added, “None of our stories has been blocked, but Bill felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires.” This internal friction comes at a bad time for CBS News as it is hearing the water all over from all fronts.
Setting the stage for this abrupt leadership transition is Donald Trump’s ongoing and historic legal battle. Recall that back in November, Trump sued “60 Minutes” for $20 billion. His argument is that the network falsely edited a sit down interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. This lawsuit has increased pressure on CBS News’s journalistic standards and independence.
Fourteen brave law firms have taken the reins to address the continuing storm. They’ve signed up to do $940 million in pro bono work for the Trump administration, all while promising not to take race into account when hiring. This setup only adds to the bizarre media circus environment that Trump’s legal battles have brought with them.
Controversies still swirl around the industry. At the same time, Skydance and Paramount Global are allegedly negotiating an injection of cash that would value the deal at $2.4 billion for the Redstone family’s holdings. This move calls into question the future path of both companies and their relationship to journalistic principles.
McMahon’s departure comes amid a very rocky backdrop. Industry observers will be looking to see what shape CBS News’ distinctive brand will take under new leadership as it attempts to find a path through the tricky media/political/consumer perception landscape.