A veteran CBS News producer, Mary Walsh, has alleged political bias at the network in a farewell memo to colleagues, as the company undergoes major changes under new leadership. Walsh, who is leaving after 46 years, wrote that staff were told to 'aim our reporting at a particular part of the political spectrum'. Her comments come amid the appointment of conservative commentator Bari Weiss as head of CBS News and Paramount Skydance's likely takeover of Warner Bros Discovery.
In her memo, obtained by the Guardian, Walsh did not specify which political direction was being pushed, but network management has faced accusations of currying favour with the Trump administration. Kim Harvey, executive producer of the Evening News, pushed back in an internal note, calling Walsh's claim 'simply not true' and asserting that editorial independence is valued.
Walsh is one of nearly a dozen employees on the evening news programme who took a buyout. Another departing producer, Alicia Hastey, recently criticised the network's direction under Weiss and Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, warning that stories might be judged on ideological conformity rather than journalistic merit. During a town hall last month, an Evening News staffer said people were 'afraid for their jobs' and that there was a 'chilling effect' in the newsroom.
Despite the controversy, Walsh received a glowing tribute from CBS News president Tom Cibrowski on a staff-wide call, and an emotional sendoff at the Washington bureau. In her memo, she reflected on her career working with CBS legends like Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather, urging colleagues to uphold the network's legacy of great journalism.
