What To Know
- Bari Weiss and CBS News president Tom Cibrowski are engaged in a power struggle over the network’s editorial direction.
- Sources say the conflict has left CBS News staff feeling caught in the middle and uncertain about the network’s future.
- The outcome may hinge on ratings for key programs like 60 Minutes, CBS Mornings, and CBS Evening News.
CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and the network’s president, Tom Cibrowski, are reportedly locked in a Cold War-like power struggle that staffers believe will end with one of them being ousted.
According to the New York Post, Weiss and Cibrowski are at loggerheads due to differing visions for the news network. The outlet reports that Weiss is aiming for more hard news and enterprise reporting as she fulfills Paramount CEO David Ellison‘s mandate to take the left-leaning network in a more center-right direction.
Weiss’ approach clashes with Cibrowski, who sources say prefers softer coverage aimed at Middle America, including weather reports and heartwarming animal stories.
“It’s a Cold War,” one prominent network staffer told the outlet. “We just want one side to win so we can do our jobs.” Another CBS source said that employees feel “caught in the middle” of “two feuding parents,” leading to day-to-day confusion.
Sources noted that there isn’t a personal conflict between Weiss and Cibrowski and that overall they “work together very well,” with one source saying the 58-year-old exec “likes Bari” and “thinks she’s smart and has good ideas.”
However, the feeling is that CBS News cannot continue to operate under its current conditions, and one of them will have to go. Sources claim that Weiss is giving Cibrowski “enough rope to hang himself” so she can replace him with a more like-minded exec, while others are waiting for Weiss to be fired so Cibrowski can take over her role.
The network’s future could come down to ratings for its mainstay programs, including 60 Minutes, CBS Mornings, and CBS Evening News.
60 Minutes, which returned for its 59th season on Sunday (September 13), has undergone significant changes in the past few months under Weiss’ direction. This included the firing of several high-profile producers and on-air staff, including Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega, and Scott Pelley.
Meanwhile, CBS Mornings and CBS Evening News, both overseen by Cibrowski, have struggled in the ratings, with the latter falling below 4 million viewers on several occasions since Tony Dokoupil took over as anchor in January.
Cibrowski has been making changes at CBS Mornings, including bringing back Norah O’Donnell to fill the spot vacated by Dokoupil. It has also been reported that the exec will be tweaking the format to make it more like MS NOW’s Morning Joe.
One CBS source summed up the situation, telling The Post, “It all comes down to the ratings. Who’s going to get fired first, Bari for 60 or Tom for CBS Mornings and CBS Evening News?”