CBS News is in the middle of a big shakeup as new leadership takes the reins and familiar faces head for the exits. Bari Weiss, recently installed as editor-in-chief after her outlet was acquired by the parent company, is remaking the place and testing how much of the old guard remains. Cuts and cancellations are already rolling out, and a few veteran anchors are either leaving or clearly nervous about their futures. The biggest headline right now centers on Gayle King and whether her decade-plus run on the morning show is coming to an end.
Bari Weiss arrives with a different playbook: she’s a classical liberal who backs free speech and has been vocal against Hamas, which drew unfair labeling from the Left. That label sticks even though her views don’t fit neat partisan boxes, and the reaction says as much about the media’s internal culture as it does about her politics. Her role carries weight because the network’s parent company bought her publication, creating a direct line between corporate ownership and editorial direction. That shift matters for viewers who expect honest coverage rather than predictable newsroom groupthink.
The restructuring at CBS wasn’t sprung entirely by Weiss, but her hiring appears to have accelerated changes already in motion. Some of the big staff moves were set before she arrived, yet insiders say the new tone and personnel choices are prompting early departures. Hosts who once felt secure are now weighing options and watching for signals from the top. In this environment, staying put can look riskier than moving on.
One of the clearest casualties is longtime anchor John Dickerson, who’s slated to exit at the end of the year as part of broader programming cuts. CBS Saturday Morning has been canceled, another example of legacy shows being trimmed as the network reshapes its lineup. Those decisions are expensive and painful, but executives argue they’re necessary to right-size a news operation that’s been accused of leaning too predictably left. For viewers, the change will be obvious on weekend lineups and in who’s fronting weekday shows.
Gayle King, a high-profile face on CBS This Morning, is now the one sparking the loudest speculation about departures. Reports leaked that she’s considering stepping down amid the overhaul, yet she continued to show up and open the show as usual. Observers noted she was seen leaving her Upper West Side apartment on the morning rumors surfaced, which only added fuel to the chatter.
Gayle King remained tight-lipped Friday about rumors she’s set to leave “CBS Mornings” after a decade-long stint – as she was spotted leaving her New York City apartment just hours after the shock reports surfaced.
The veteran news anchor donned huge sunglasses as she quietly emerged from her Upper West Side building before sunrise and headed off to CBS’s studios, The Post’s exclusive photos show.
In the hours that followed, the 70-year-old made zero mention of her own news as she opened the show she’s fronted for more than a decade.
The early morning sighting came after sources told Variety late Thursday that King — who joined CBS News as a host in 2011 — was eying stepping down from her current hosting gig amid a major overhaul under the network’s new Editor-in-Chief, Bari Weiss.
King’s choice, should she make one, will have ripple effects across morning television and inside CBS itself. She’s a familiar personality whose departure would mark a symbolic end to an era, and it would force the network to decide whether to maintain the same tone or try something new. For conservatives and independent viewers, the prospect of a less predictable editorial line is welcome, especially if it means more balanced coverage. The network’s credibility is on the line whenever high-profile hosts leave or stay under uncertain circumstances.
The broader question is whether Weiss’s presence will make CBS less of a DNC-friendly outlet and more even-handed in its approach. Change at the top doesn’t guarantee balance, but it does open the possibility of a newsroom less dominated by ideological conformity. That’s the outcome many viewers say they want: reporting that treats all sides skeptically and protects free speech rather than punishing dissent. Whether CBS seizes that chance or reverts to its old instincts is the story to watch next.
At the same time, management faces a practical task: rebuilding trust while trimming costs and recalibrating talent. Some of those moves will be unpopular with staff and with parts of the audience, and they won’t solve the network’s problems overnight. Still, a real commitment to fair play and robust debate would be a welcome shift in an industry that too often rewards sameness. For now, the networks will keep rotating executives and anchors, and viewers will judge results, not promises.
