Dan Rather, the famed newscaster who worked at CBS for 44 years, shared his thoughts on David Ellison’s acquisition of The Free Press and the subsequent appointment of Bari Weiss as CBS News Editor-in-Chief, calling it a “dark day” for the network.
The storied newsman penned a lengthy response to the shakeup at CBS News and posted his thoughts on Substack — where The Free Press notably started as a newsletter.
In his post, Rather called out Weiss’ credentials, noting the new CBS News head was “not a reporter” and “has never worked in television news” or “led a staff larger than a few dozen” prior to her hire.
Rather did, however, credit Weiss’ influence, saying she had “the ear of the billionaire class” — but wondered if that was a good thing for an institution like CBS News, which aims for neutrality.
He wrote, “It is also hard to believe Weiss will be an equitable steward of the storied news division in light of how the Ellisons acquired it.”
As Rather went on, he brought up the Skydance-Paramount merger, and how the transaction likely influenced Paramount’s decision to settle a lawsuit brought about by President Donald Trump, as they required the Federal Communications Commission’s approval.
“That deal and the hiring of Weiss signals to everyone, especially to the man in the Oval Office, that CBS is no longer independent,” he added, “but under the tutelage of a conservative billionaire who is putting more than his thumb on the scale.”
Rather speculated that the “American people will pay the price for this move, as will the journalists of CBS News who can no longer credibly serve as watchdogs because the ones they are meant to hold to account are signing their paychecks and hobnobbing with the president.”
Before signing off his statement, Rather emphasized the importance of “free and independent journalism.”
“It is a dark day in the halls of CBS News, where the portraits of television news pioneers once hung — Cronkite, Murrow, Sevareid, Collingwood,” Rather noted. “They were journalists who made television a trusted source of information. Whom and what are we to believe today?”
Read Rather’s full statement here.
CBS News did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
