Claudia Milne, CBS News’ head of standards since 2021, has announced her departure from the network, becoming the first senior news executive to leave since Bari Weiss was named editor-in-chief. Milne informed staff during a morning editorial call on Thursday, expressing gratitude but not disclosing the reason for her resignation.
Her exit comes weeks after the network appointed Kenneth Weinstein, a former Trump appointee and conservative think tank leader, as an ombudsman to address complaints of bias. These moves by Paramount Skydance chief David Ellison have drawn criticism from within CBS News and among media observers.
In a staff-wide email, Milne urged colleagues to “keep asking those tough questions” and described it as a privilege to work for the same organisation her father served for decades. She emphasised the importance of holding power to account in “complicated times.”
Milne, who previously held senior roles at Bloomberg, ProPublica, and the BBC, joined CBS News in 2019 as managing editor of CBS This Morning. Her departure follows a turbulent period for the network, including Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview, which CBS settled for $16 million, prompting investigations by Democratic lawmakers.
