Bret Baier. Anderson Cooper. Scott Jennings. Some of the most prominent — and loudest — voices in TV news are apparently on Bari Weiss’ radar as the Free Press founder tries to make her mark in her first month as CBS News’ editor in chief.
As Weiss navigates her first month at CBS News, she’s reportedly considered various household names to revamp some of CBS News’ programming. The talent would ostensibly help Weiss fulfill her mission of “building the most trusted news organization of the 21st Century” by relying on figures the general public knows, while also generating buzz for a network whose programming has faced a precipitous ratings decline and drawn political scrutiny.
CNN declined to comment. CBS News did not respond to an immediate request for comment.
Enter Baier and Cooper, who anchor two of the flagship shows on Fox News and CNN, respectively. Status reported last week that Weiss was interested in Baier for “CBS Evening News,” which has fallen further behind its ABC and NBC competitors after an anchor shift in January, while the Independent reported on Saturday that Cooper was also a potential replacement.
But complications arise. Baier remains under contract at Fox News until 2028, and he told Meghan McCain on Monday that he had no plans to leave the network until that contract expires.
“I’m flattered by all the press and everything like that, but I’m in a multi-year contract with Fox. I don’t know where everything’s going,” he said. “I’m signed onto Fox, very happy at Fox and, you know, we’ll see what happens at the end of that.”
Cooper could be a more viable option. He is already affiliated with the network through his yearslong role as a “60 Minutes” correspondent, and his contract at CNN expires soon, according to Status. But Cooper has been a face of CNN for decades, often on the front lines of its coverage of both domestic and international issues and serving as its lead New York-based anchor for election coverage, so it’s also hard to imagine he’d want to leave. (Not to mention his passion projects, such as the network’s annual alcohol-fueled New Year’s Eve special with his close friend Andy Cohen or his podcast on grief, “All There Is.”)
While Weiss is eyeing on-air talent, she also tapped journalist Adam Rubenstein as her deputy at CBS News and the Free Press, according to the New York Post.
Internally, Tony Dokoupil and Norah O’Donnell are reportedly seen as top contenders for the “Evening News” slot. Dokoupil interviewed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Hamas released the last living hostages from Gaza, a conversation arranged by Weiss. To execute one of Weiss’ first ideas at the network, O’Donnell — the former “Evening News” host before it switched to a two-anchor model — hosted a discussion with former Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice about the apparent end of the war once a deal was brokered.
Meanwhile, some people have already headed for the exits. “CBS Evening News” co-anchor John Dickerson said on Monday he would leave the network in December, opting to end his 16-year tenure at the Tiffany Network.
“I am extremely grateful for all that CBS gave me— the work, the audience’s attention and the honor of being a part of the network’s history— and I am grateful for my dear colleagues who’ve made me a better journalist and a better human,” Dickerson wrote on Instagram. “I will miss you.”
The decision was Dickerson’s alone, according to the Times, though the anchor “was cognizant that significant changes, including a revamp of the ‘Evening News,’ were on the way.” His exit follows the news organization’s head of standards, Claudia Milne, saying she would leave the network as well.
Changes are expected beyond the evening newscast. Weiss is reportedly interested in shaking up flagship newsmagazine “60 Minutes,” a program at the heart of President Donald Trump’s ire at the network. Such changes could mean correspondents like Scott Pelley and Bill Whitaker are shown the door, according to the New York Post. She is also reportedly interested in luring conservative pundit Scott Jennings away from CNN, meeting with him in New York, according to Semafor.
All in all, such moves indicate the tides of change are still approaching CBS News’ shore.
