Buyouts Signal Growing Fracture Inside CBS News
•February 13, 2026
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Companies Mentioned
Why It Matters
The loss of experienced producers weakens CBS’s newscast credibility and signals potential instability for advertisers and viewers, while the looming cuts could reshape the competitive landscape of U.S. broadcast journalism.
Key Takeaways
- •11 CBS Evening News staff accepted voluntary buyouts.
- •Buyouts limited to non‑unionized employees, sparking departures.
- •New editor Bari Weiss faces potential 15% workforce cuts.
- •Producers cite ideological pressure and self‑censorship concerns.
- •Industry watches CBS restructuring as a bellwether for news.
Pulse Analysis
The recent wave of voluntary buyouts at CBS News marks a rare, public glimpse into the turbulence that can follow a top‑down leadership change in a legacy newsroom. By offering a one‑time severance package exclusively to non‑union staff, CBS signaled both a desire to trim costs and an acknowledgement that the new editorial direction may not sit comfortably with all employees. The departure of eleven seasoned professionals, including half of the show's producers, not only removes institutional memory but also raises immediate questions about how the evening broadcast will maintain its production quality during a period of transition.
Bari Weiss, appointed editor‑in‑chief in October, brings a background rooted in opinion and digital commentary rather than traditional newsgathering. Her stated aim to shift CBS Evening News toward a more ‘heterodox’ style has already provoked concerns among journalists who fear editorial decisions could be driven by ideological alignment rather than journalistic merit. The internal memo encouraging staff to leave if they disagree underscores a cultural clash that could lead to self‑censorship, as reporters weigh the risk of backlash against the network’s evolving brand identity. Such tension threatens the outlet’s reputation for impartial reporting.
The CBS shake‑up arrives at a moment when broadcast networks are competing with streaming platforms and fragmented audiences. A potential 15 % workforce reduction, as reported by industry insiders, would place CBS among the most aggressive cost‑cutters in the sector, potentially prompting rivals to reassess their own staffing models. Advertisers, already wary of audience volatility, may view the instability as a risk factor, influencing budget allocations. Ultimately, how CBS navigates these internal fractures will serve as a bellwether for the broader news industry’s ability to balance fiscal pressures with editorial integrity.
Buyouts signal growing fracture inside CBS News
Unrest continues at CBS News.
As I linked to in the newsletter earlier this week, the New York Post’s Alexandra Steigrad reported that about a quarter of “CBS Evening News” staffers eligible for buyouts have chosen to take them ahead of possible impending layoffs under new CBS News editor‑in‑chief Bari Weiss. Steigrad wrote that 11 staffers opted for buyouts, which were only offered to non‑unionized employees. That includes at least six producers out of roughly 20 that are on staff. One source told Steigrad, “Seems like people are jumping ship.”
One of the producers who is leaving is Alicia Hastey — who sent a fiery farewell note obtained by The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin.
Hastey noted that she was proud of the work that’s been done during her four years at “CBS Evening News.” However, she wrote, “There has been a sweeping new vision prioritizing a break from traditional broadcast norms to embrace what has been described as ‘heterodox’ journalism. The truth is that commitment to those people and the stories they have to tell is increasingly becoming impossible. Stories may instead be evaluated not just on their journalistic merit but on whether they conform to a shifting set of ideological expectations — a dynamic that pressures producers and reporters to self‑censor or avoid challenging narratives that might trigger backlash or unfavorable headlines.”
Hastley never mentioned Weiss by name, but it appears Weiss — or Weiss’ vision for the newscast — was the target of her criticisms.
As Steigrad wrote in her piece for the Post, “Last month, the network announced the ‘extraordinary chance’ for eligible staffers to take a one‑time voluntary buyout ahead of company‑wide layoffs that could kick off as soon as March, according to a source. The offer came after Weiss told employees in a January townhall that they were free to leave if they didn’t like her strategy for the struggling news division.”
Weiss told staffers at the time, “It’s a free country, and I completely respect if you decide I’m not the right leader for you, or this isn’t the right place at the right time.”
It would appear several at “CBS Evening News” have taken Weiss up on that offer.
Variety’s Brian Steinberg wrote, “The exodus puts a new spotlight on CBS News under Weiss, whose experience is largely tied to opinion writing and not the ins and outs of newsgathering. Weiss’ lack of knowledge has resulted in several errors since her arrival in October, after Paramount bought her conservative‑opinion site The Free Press for $150 million. There have been entanglements with ‘60 Minutes’; exits by senior executives; and a rough start for Dokoupil’s new tenure at ‘CBS Evening News’ following comments he made online about his intentions for his new job.”
Meanwhile, in his Status media newsletter, Oliver Darcy wrote Thursday about impending cuts at CBS News: “Behind the scenes, CBS News executives are actively sketching out plans for another deep round of cuts, some key details of which Status has learned. According to people briefed on the situation, the coming layoffs are expected to impact at least 15 % of the workforce, making them more severe than the reductions carried out last fall. It remains unclear which divisions will bear the brunt of the cuts, though given how deep they are, it’s hard to imagine how the cuts won’t in some way affect every corner of the company.”
Darcy wrote that it’s not exactly clear when the cuts might come, but it likely would be in the next two‑to‑three months, maybe even sooner.
Let’s chat
CNN’s Brian Stelter had this scoop Thursday: Paramount CEO David Ellison met with President Donald Trump privately at the White House last week. The meeting came as Paramount continues its hostile takeover bid of Warner Bros. Discovery. Up until now, WBD seems intent on selling most of its properties to Netflix, but Paramount refuses to give up.
Trump and Ellison (and Ellison’s father, Larry) have a cozy relationship, but Trump has publicly said he is not going to get involved in the WBD sale. Just last week, in an interview with “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas, Trump said, “I haven’t been involved.”
It would appear the meeting between Trump and Ellison happened just before Trump’s Wednesday sit‑down with Llamas.
Stelter wrote, “Ellison and Trump had two wide‑ranging conversations, according to sources with knowledge of the meetings.”
One would be foolish to think the WBD sale did not come up. Ultimately, any sale of WBD will have to be approved by Trump‑administration regulators.
Stepping up to the plate
The Baltimore Banner is going to try to pick up the slack now that The Washington Post has essentially eliminated its sports coverage.
A quick recap: the Post gutted its legendary sports department, which was once known for having some of the best sportswriters in the business with the likes of Shirley Povich, Tony Kornheiser, Michael Wilbon, Sally Jenkins and Thomas Boswell, just to name a few. And the sports department of today — well, of last week — also had a deep talent pool with brilliant journalists including Chuck Culpepper, Dave Sheinin and columnists Candace Buckner and Barry Svrluga.
While the Post sports department covered national and international sports, it was especially superb covering Washington, D.C. sports — particularly the NFL Commanders, Major League Baseball Nationals, the NBA Wizards and the NHL Capitals, as well as the WNBA Mystics, and college sports such as Maryland and Georgetown. Eliminating local sports coverage was a gut punch to a rather avid D.C.–area sports fanbase.
In an astute move, The Baltimore Banner announced Thursday that it will try to fill that void.
Banner editor‑in‑chief Audrey Cooper said in an announcement, “At a time when so much pulls communities apart, sports bring us together. The Washington Post’s decision to eliminate its sports section creates an opportunity for us to serve more Marylanders with The Banner’s distinctive mix of fearless accountability reporting, engaging storytelling and sharp analysis.”
Cooper said the Banner will add staff to the sports coverage and one would think that some of those who were let go at the Post would be strong candidates for the Banner.
Cooper wrote, “They will deliver regular beat coverage of the Nationals and Commanders, as well as enterprise reporting on the Capitals, Wizards and Terps. Our coverage begins soon, with stories from the Nationals’ spring training in Florida.”
Media news, tidbits and interesting links for your weekend review
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Speaking of Washington Post sports, Columbia Journalism Review’s Ivan L. Nagy talks with Les Carpenter, who was laid off by the Post last week but decided to continue his coverage of the Olympics for the outlet: “‘We Still Have a Sports Section for a Few Days, and Readers Need Me to Tell a Story.’”
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In his “The Gene Pool” newsletter, former Washington Post columnist Gene Weingarten writes that Will Lewis, who just resigned as publisher and CEO at the Post following massive layoffs, was making $3 million a year. He notes, “Three million dollars could have paid roughly 27 of the 300 reporters, photographers and editors who were sacked by Lewis before he took his own professional life and resigned under pressure.”
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Media Matters’ Noah Dowe with “‘She is not to be trusted’: Right‑wing media turn on Pam Bondi as Trump’s Epstein scandal grows.”
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President Donald Trump’s multi‑billion‑dollar lawsuit against the BBC has been scheduled to go to trial in February 2027. The BBC’s Steven McIntosh has more details here.
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The Atlantic’s Simon Shuster interviewed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky for “Zelensky Makes His Pitch to Trump.”
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The Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Weprin, Caitlin Huston, Katie Kilkenny with “Talk Is Cheap, Talk Shows Are Not: Daytime TV’s Big Problem.”
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The New York Times has a new weekly newsletter about the law and the courts called “The Dockett,” hosted by Times’ chief legal affairs correspondent Adam Liptak. You can sign up here.
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As part of the Orlando Sentinel’s 150th birthday, the paper is revisiting some stories from their archives with fresh updates. Here’s an interesting one from Roger Simmons: “Disney World news was biggest scoop in Sentinel history.”
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Finally, after another rough week in the news, here’s something light and fun: a throwback piece originally published in 2022 that The Ringer republished this week, “The 50 Best Rom‑Coms Since 1970.”
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Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected].
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