Wendy McMahon, president of CBS News, is facing significant challenges in her first year, grappling with multiple crises in the newsroom. Recent key issues include backlash over the editing of a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris and controversies surrounding anchor Tony Dokoupil’s questioning of journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates about Israel.
McMahon’s leadership has been overshadowed by interventions from her higher-ups. Shari Redstone, a media executive at Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, has taken an active role in editorial discussions, emphasizing the need for balanced coverage of Middle East issues.
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In response to internal and external concerns, CBS News is considering an editorial review aimed at improving fairness in reporting. This effort includes investigating employee reports of antisemitism, anti-Muslim views, racism and sexism in the newsroom.
McMahon’s leadership comes at a pivotal time as Paramount merges with Skydance Media. She is scheduled to meet with Jeff Shell, the incoming president of Paramount Global. An outsider to network news with a background in local television, McMahon became CBS News president in August 2023.
She is implementing changes within the news division, including a leadership reshuffle and an emphasis on long-form journalism. Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has weighed in on the ethics concerns surrounding CBS, criticizing how the network handled the Ta-Nehisi Coates book interview.
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“I believe in messy conversations, even if it veers off, as long as people are respectful,” Lemon said on the “Don Lemon Show.” “Why are the inmates running the asylum? Why are you responding? Of course you should respond to people, ‘We hear you, we want you to express your opinion, we are standing by our journalist.’ Even if you have issues with him, you address those issues with him, not in public.”
Following the public dustup, Redstone called Dokoupil to praise him for a job well done and had dinner with him earlier this week, according to The Wall Street Journal. However, CBS has not publicly addressed the “60 Minutes” Harris interview controversy, despite polling showing overwhelming support for the network to release the transcript.
[Karah Rucker]
CBS NEWS PRESIDENT WENDY MCMAHON IS FACING SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES IN HER FIRST YEAR ON THE JOB, DEALING WITH MULTIPLE CRISES IN THE NEWSROOM. RECENT KEY ISSUES INCLUDE BACKLASH OVER THE EDITING OF A “60 MINUTES” INTERVIEW WITH VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AND CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING ANCHOR TONY DOKOUPIL’S TOUGH QUESTIONING OF JOURNALIST TA-NEHISI COATES ABOUT ISRAEL.
MCMAHON’S COMMAND ALSO RECENTLY OVERSHADOWED BY HER HIGHER-UPS STEPPING IN TO SOUND OFF.
SHARI REDSTONE – A MEDIA EXECUTIVE FOR PARAMOUNT GLOBAL, CBS’S PARENT COMPANY – HAS TAKEN AN ACTIVE ROLE IN EDITORIAL DISCUSSIONS, EMPHASIZING THE NEED FOR BALANCED COVERAGE OF MIDDLE EAST ISSUES.
IN RESPONSE TO INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CONCERNS, CBS NEWS IS CONSIDERING AN EDITORIAL REVIEW AIMED AT IMPROVING FAIRNESS IN REPORTING.
THIS EFFORT INCLUDES INVESTIGATING EMPLOYEE REPORTS OF ANTISEMITISM, ANTI-MUSLIM VIEWS, RACISM, AND SEXISM IN THE NEWSROOM.
MCMAHON’S LEADERSHIP COMES AT A PIVOTAL TIME AS PARAMOUNT MERGES WITH SKYDANCE MEDIA, AND SHE IS SET TO MEET WITH JEFF SHELL, THE INCOMING PRESIDENT OF PARAMOUNT GLOBAL.
MCMAHON, AN OUTSIDER TO NETWORK NEWS WITH A BACKGROUND IN LOCAL TELEVISION, TOOK OVER AS CBS NEWS PRESIDENT IN AUGUST 2023.
SHE’S IMPLEMENTING CHANGES WITHIN THE NEWS DIVISION, INCLUDING A LEADERSHIP RESHUFFLE AND AN EMPHASIS ON LONG-FORM JOURNALISM.
FORMER CNN ANCHOR DON LEMON IS CHIMING IN OVER THE ETHICS CONCERNS SURROUNDING CBS.
AND IS CRITICIZING HOW THE NETWORK HANDLED THE TA-NEHISI COATES BOOK INTERVIEW.
“I believe in messy conversations, even if it veers off, as long as people are respectful.
“Why are the inmates running the asylum? Why are you responding? Of course you should respond to people ‘we hear you, we want you to express your opinion, we are standing by our journalist.’ even if you have issues with him, you address those issues with him not in public.”
FOLLOWING THE PUBLIC DUST-UP –
REDSTONE – CALLED DOKOUPIL TO PRAISE HIM FOR A JOB WELL DONE AND HAD DINNER WITH THE ANCHOR EARLIER THIS WEEK – ACCORDING TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
HOWEVER CBS HAS STILL NOT PUBLICLY ADDRESSED THE 60 MINUTES HARRIS INTERVIEW CONTROVERSY –
EVEN THOUGH POLLING SHOWS OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR THE NETWORK TO RELEASE THE TRANSCRIPT.
HEY THANKS FOR WATCHING OUR NEWS UPDATE.
THIS IS A STORY THAT WE’VE BEEN FOLLOWING FOR WEEKS.
TO WATCH THE CONTROVERSIAL EXCHANGE BETWEEN DOKOUPIL AND TA-NA-HASI OR TO CATCH UP ON REACTION FOLLOWING THE 60 MINUTES INTERVIEW WITH HARRIS –
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