Veteran journalist Connie Chung, a trailblazer as the second woman to anchor a major U.S. nightly news program, has launched a sharp critique against the current leadership of CBS News. She accuses the network's "greedy owners" of dismantling the venerable institution's journalistic integrity amid a notable rightward editorial shift.
A Network Transformed: From Public Trust to "Crumbles"
Speaking on the "Pablo Torre Finds Out" podcast, Chung described CBS as a "whole different organization" from her tenure. She directly called out Shari Redstone, who sold her majority stake in parent company Paramount Global to David Ellison's Skydance Media in a massive $8.4 billion deal finalized this past summer. "Their greed has caused the venerable CBS to actually disassemble, to crash into crumbles," Chung stated.
The iconic anchor, who co-anchored the "CBS Evening News" with Dan Rather starting in 1993, expressed profound distress over the current state of broadcast news. She told Torre she can no longer watch CBS, lamenting that the "paradigm has completely changed in news" and that it's increasingly difficult for the public to find "good old-fashioned facts."
New Leadership and a Controversial Settlement
Chung specifically questioned the recent appointment of conservative journalist Bari Weiss as the new editor-in-chief of CBS News. "I don't know what to call Bari Weiss, I just don't know," she said with a chuckle, highlighting the cultural shift within the network's news division.
Her criticism aligns with a wave of scrutiny directed at CBS and Paramount leadership in recent months. A pivotal moment was Paramount's agreement to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit from former President Donald Trump against "60 Minutes." Widely criticized as a frivolous case, the settlement was seen by many as the company currying favour, with "Late Show" host Stephen Colbert labelling it a "big fat bribe." The move preceded the Skydance merger, which required regulatory approval from the current administration.
A Lost Legacy of Journalistic Independence
Chung contrasted the current climate with the legacy of CBS's past leaders. She cited former owner William S. Paley, who insisted on an autonomous news division free from worrying about the "bottom line." She also praised former CBS President Frank Stanton, who famously defended the Fourth Estate before Congress "time and time again."
"Now we have a complete dismantling of that kind of social responsibility, that we are watchdogs. We reporters are watchdogs of government. It's our job to report information that is not fed to us," Chung asserted, mourning the erosion of what she sees as core journalistic principles. Her comments underscore a deep concern about the future of independent journalism under consolidated corporate ownership.
