CBS News’ Bari Weiss has prompted staffing turnover, layoffs and major changes to its political coverage since stepping into her role as editor-in-chief.
Weiss became editor-in-chief in October when Paramount Skydance, the parent company of CBS, acquired her publication, The Free Press, for approximately $150 million. The parent company’s CEO, David Ellison, told Weiss that the network should provide “news that reflects reality” and journalism that “doesn’t seek to demonize, but seeks to understand.”
Weiss’ leadership prompted several significant staffing changes. At the beginning of Weiss’ tenure, over 100 staffers at CBS News were laid off, including virtually everyone in the outlet’s “race and culture” section. The co-hosts of “CBS Saturday Morning,” Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson, and its executive producer Brian Applegate were also part of the cuts.
Four weeks later, “CBS Evening News” hosts John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois announced their departures after spending over a decade at the network. The two hosts signed off from their positions during the end of the program on Dec. 18.
While longtime staff stepped down, Weiss reportedly dedicated some time trying to hire prominent voices from across the media and political spectrum, including CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings, Fox News anchor Bret Baier and CNN’s Anderson Cooper. All three have denied that they would be accepting any offers to work at CBS in the near future.
When she stepped into her role, Weiss sent emails to staff asking them to outline their jobs and provide feedback on “how we can make CBS News the most trusted news organization in America and the world.” During the hiring process, Weiss reached out to outside talent directly rather than speaking to their agents, which is considered the traditional method of communication, and has been highly involved in booking guests in an attempt to fix the network’s ratings and make a lasting change.
As part of this mission, Weiss had been trying to reshape “CBS Evening News,” which has consistently ranked third place in comparison to the evening programs on ABC News and NBC News. She appointed “CBS Mornings” host Tony Dokupil to begin hosting the program on Jan. 5, 2026.
Throughout the weeks of Dec. 8, “CBS Evening News” garnered 4.15 million total viewers and 528,000 in the 25 to 54-year demographic, according to AdWeek. The program lagged behind its competing programs, “ABC World News Tonight” and “NBC Nightly News,” which raked in 7.86 million and 6.43 million views.
“CBS Mornings” host Gayle King’s contract is up in early 2026, prompting Weiss to reportedly consider finding a cheaper alternative to her $15 million salary, The Wall Street Journal reported in November.
While trying to balance the network’s political coverage, Weiss moderated a townhall with Erika Kirk, the widow of the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, on Dec. 13, where they discussed the future of her organization, the public’s reactions to her husband’s assassination and several other topics.
Weiss received scrutiny from CBS News journalists and members of the liberal media for pulling a “60 Minutes” segment about The Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador because it did not feature any comment from officials at the White House. President Donald Trump recently complained in a Dec. 16 Truth Social post that “60 Minutes” has treated him worse after Weiss took over the company.
CBS had reportedly received comments from the State Department, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the White House, but did not include the responses from those agencies in the segment, according to The Wall Street Journal. A person who works closely with the show said the administration’s perspective was included six times, including prior comments from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Sharyn Alfonsi, the correspondent on the segment, alleged in an email to colleagues that Weiss’ decision was political rather than editorial. Weiss said in a statement to The New York Times that the segment will be aired when it is properly ready.
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