CBS Evening News is preparing for its much-anticipated relaunch with a new anchor, a Bari Weiss nationwide tour, and a wave of internal frustration that staff describe as disheartening and chaotic.
According to reporting compiled by Mediaite, CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss is starting the reboot with a two-week, 10-city “Live From America” tour. She plans to travel with the program’s team and will bring along “her personal security detail of five armed bodyguards.” The Independent’s reporting, mentioned that Weiss intends to charter a private plane to each stop. Anchor Tony Dokoupil and CBS Evening News executive producer Kim Harvey will also be on those flights.
Inside the newsroom, the atmosphere described by employees is bleak. “Morale is really bad” at CBS Evening News, staffers told The Independent. One employee expressed more frustration: “This really feels like the end of CBS Evening News,” adding, “Honestly, it’s so depressing.”
A major source of anger is the image of a private-jet tour that is meant to convey closeness to the public. “Nothing says ‘meeting Americans where they are’ like flying around the country on a private jet costing millions of dollars,” one CBS News staffer told The Independent. The same staffer wondered why Weiss needs to be physically present for every broadcast if security is such a big concern, saying, “And if her security detail is such a huge concern, why is she going? She could watch from the control room or on an actual TV like everyone else.” They also questioned the expenses, stating, “Does she not understand how much journalism could be done with the money we’re instead spending on perks for her?”
The tension is building just days before Dokoupil’s first broadcast, scheduled for Monday, January 5. In a video posted by CBS promoting the relaunch, Dokoupil tried to present himself as accountable to viewers, not executives. “As long as I sit in this chair, you come first,” he said. “Not advertisers. Not politicians. Not corporate interests. And, yes, that does include the corporate owners of CBS. I report for you.”
But staff skepticism has only increased as the network emphasizes attention-grabbing aspects around the reboot. Mediaite reported that The Independent obtained a call sheet showing proposed segments for the Miami launch. These include an interview with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and a focus on the “loss of trust” in the press, along with coverage of Miami’s Venezuelan community and deportations. The Independent also mentioned lighter segments, such as Dokoupil playing soccer with David Beckham or joining a boat party that could feature jet skiing with DJ Khaled.
Another point of contention was a social video of Dokoupil at Grand Central Station, where he asked passersby if they knew how to pronounce his name. A CBS News employee told The Independent, “Quite the humiliating ritual,” adding, “This is just embarrassing.”
This conflict comes amid other public disagreements related to Weiss’s leadership. Mediaite noted that she recently canceled a planned 60 Minutes segment on deportations, a move that has already faced internal and external backlash in previous reporting. CBS News and Weiss did not respond to requests for comments mentioned in the reporting.
