Former CBS News head Susan Zirinsky is back on a temporary basis as Executive Editor while the division looks for a full-time replacement.
In a memo sent to staffers Monday night, co-CEO of Paramount Global George Cheeks wrote:
In today’s fast-moving news environment, it is critical for newsrooms to quickly and effectively deliver balanced, accurate, fair and timely reporting, including highly complex, sensitive issues like the war in the Middle East.
CBS News takes this responsibility seriously. While there is no way to cover such sensitive issues without provoking some degree of criticism, we have a responsibility to address those concerns. This includes feedback regarding perceived bias in some CBS News coverage. We cannot let this negatively affect our legacy or our future, our mission or our connection to our viewers.
Wendy and her team have been conducting a search for a newly created Executive Editor position who will sit across the news division with the specific mandate of ensuring we have the expertise, resources and oversight to enable coverage of the most challenging issues with the highest degree of balance and integrity. Standards will report into this new position.
We have asked Susan Zirinsky – whom you are all familiar with – to serve in this Executive Editor role on an interim basis while we conduct this search.
Zirinsky, who stepped down as president in Spring 2021 following a two-year tenure, is currently overseeing See It Now Studios, the non-fiction content production arm across ViacomCBS brands and other platforms.
During her time as CBS News president, Zirinsky overhauled the news division, moving CBS Evening News to Washington, D.C. with new anchor Norah O’Donnell and executive producer Jay Shaylor. Her changes also included a shakeup of the CBS This Morning anchor team, with Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil joining Gayle King, and the hiring of Shawna Thomas as the show’s new EP.
English (US) ·