CBS News
U.S. center-left (shifting under new ownership)
Background
CBS News traces its roots to 1933, when the Columbia Broadcasting System established a dedicated news division under Paul White, drawing on the prestige of the print journalism tradition. Under chairman William S. Paley, who acquired control of CBS in 1928, the network became one of America's dominant broadcasters, and CBS News gained international standing during World War II through correspondents such as Edward R. Murrow, whose televised journalism in the 1950s set lasting professional standards. The flagship newsmagazine 60 Minutes launched in 1968 and grew into one of the highest-rated programs in U.S. broadcast history. CBS merged with Viacom in 2000, split into separate companies again in 2006, re-merged as ViacomCBS in 2019, and rebranded as Paramount Global in 2022. In July 2025, the FCC approved Skydance Media's acquisition of Paramount Global; Skydance is controlled by David Ellison, who is viewed as aligned with the Trump administration. Also in July 2025, Paramount settled a $16 million lawsuit filed by President Trump over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris—a settlement widely criticized as a capitulation to executive pressure. In late 2025, Bari Weiss was installed as editor-in-chief of CBS News, triggering the resignation of CBS News president Wendy McMahon, the departure of 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens (who cited loss of editorial independence), and the firing of veteran correspondents including Scott Pelley; multiple reports documented segments critical of the Trump administration being pulled before broadcast.
Sources
- FCC approves sale of CBS parent company Paramount — NPR
- New CBS owner Ellison takes steps to appease Trump — NPR
- Trump administration greenlights Paramount's $8 billion merger with Skydance — NBC News
- CBS News Media Bias — AllSides
- Has CBS News' Bias Moved Right Under Bari Weiss' Leadership? — AllSides
- CBS News — Bias and Credibility — Media Bias/Fact Check
- Is Bari Weiss Breaking the News? '60 Minutes' Firings Spur Fear at CBS — Variety
- Ex-'60 Minutes' Staffers Attack Bari Weiss After Scott Pelley Fired — Variety
- CBS in turmoil as US media feels pressure under Trump — France 24
- CBS News chaos under Bari Weiss shows the limits of 'blow it up' leadership — Fortune
- CBS News — Wikipedia
Profile compiled 2026-06-25; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.