CBS Evening News Producer Resigns Over Bari Weiss-Led Revamp
A CBS Evening News producer has announced her departure from the network, citing what she describes as a climate of "fear and uncertainty" under new leadership and a shift toward evaluating stories based on ideological expectations rather than journalistic merit.
Producer Cites Ideological Expectations Over Journalistic Standards
Alicia Hastey, who worked as a producer for four years, said in a fiery note to staff obtained by New York Times reporter Ben Mullin that she was taking a buyout from the network. Hastey wrote that under the new leadership of CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, stories are no longer assessed for their journalistic value but rather "whether they conform to a shifting set of ideological expectations."
"There has been a sweeping new vision prioritizing a break from traditional broadcast norms to embrace what has been described as 'heterodox' journalism," Hastey stated. "The truth is that commitment to those people and the stories they have to tell is increasingly becoming impossible."
Climate of Fear and Self-Censorship
Hastey added that this new dynamic pressures producers and reporters to self-censor or avoid challenging narratives that might trigger backlash or unfavorable headlines. She praised her colleagues as talented and thoughtful but noted they are operating under "difficult circumstances."
"That is precisely what makes this moment so heartbreaking: the very excellence we seek to sustain is hindered by fear and uncertainty," Hastey wrote.
Multiple Staff Departures and Declining Ratings
Hastey is reportedly one of six CBS Evening News producers who have recently taken buyouts to leave the program, which Weiss has revamped since being installed as editor-in-chief following the Paramount Skydance merger. Sources told the New York Post that approximately 11 staffers in total have opted for buyouts.
Since taking over, Weiss has aimed to give CBS Evening News a more conservative voice, including pro-Trump segments and narratives. However, this shift has been accompanied by declining ratings for the network.
Internal Morale and Editorial Controversies
Media leaks have painted a grim picture of behind-the-scenes morale at CBS, with staffers growing increasingly unhappy over Weiss's editorial choices. One notable example includes the reported delay of a 60 Minutes segment on CECOT, the brutal El Salvador prison where the administration has sent deported immigrants.
In recent internal meetings, Weiss has told staff that the network needs to move in a different direction from the nostalgic era of legendary anchor Walter Cronkite. Hastey invoked Cronkite in her farewell message, quoting his response to critics: "If that is what makes us liberals, so be it, just as long as in reporting the news we adhere to the first ideals of good journalism – that news reports must be fair, accurate and unbiased."
"Cronkite's idea is one of the best I've encountered," Hastey wrote. "He understood that labels are inevitable, but standards are what matter. What defines journalism is not what critics call it, but whether it remains faithful to those principles."
The Independent has reached out to CBS for comment on these developments.
