Susan Zirinsky returns to CBS News as interim executive editor

Susan Zirinsky has been asked again to help polish CBS News.

The veteran producer, who served as president of the division from early 2019 to late 2021, has been asked to return to CBS News as interim “executive editor” and will oversee standards and help review stories and news practices. Like many other news organizations, CBS News has long had people monitoring internal conduct and ethics. But Paramount Worldwide appears to be looking to bring such efforts more into senior teams after controversy last year over incidents on “60 Minutes” and “CBS Morning Show.”

Co-chief executive George Cheeks said: “In today’s rapidly changing news environment, which includes high-profile events such as the wars in the Middle East, it is vital that newsrooms deliver balanced, accurate, fair and timely coverage quickly and effectively. Complex, sensitive issues,” Paramount Global said in a memo sent to CBS News staff Monday night. “CBS News takes this responsibility seriously. While it is impossible to cover these sensitive issues without eliciting a level of criticism, we have a responsibility to address them. This includes reports regarding perceived bias in CBS News' reporting Feedback. We cannot let this negatively impact our legacy or our future, our mission or our connection with our audience.”

Zielinski will fill the position while Paramount Global executive Wendy McMahon, who oversees CBS News, searches for someone to fill the position permanently. Cheeks said the executive editor will “take on specific tasks to ensure we have the expertise, resources and oversight to cover the most challenging issues with the highest degree of balance and integrity.” The Standard will report the new position. ”

The move comes as Paramount Worldwide is about to be acquired by Skydance Media, and there's no doubt that any court entanglements with incoming President Trump could affect how regulators review the proposed deal.

Zielinski, a longtime veteran producer who led the newsmagazine “48 Hours” and worked on features and notable documentaries, became president of CBS News in 2019. At the time, the news division was under scrutiny over harassment allegations against “CBS This Morning” co-host Charlie Rose and former “60 Minutes” executive producer Jeff Fagle.

Most recently, she led See It Now Studios, a production unit dedicated to special projects and documentary programming. She is expected to continue in this role.

CBS News has grappled with backlash over its reporting in recent months. In November, then-candidate Donald Trump sued CBS News for $10 billion in federal court in the Northern District of Texas, claiming that 60 Minutes interviewed U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. of opponents, was edited with deceptive content.

At the center of the controversy is an interview segment from the CBS News program “Face the Nation,” which aired Sunday morning as a promotional preview for a news magazine special later this week. The promotional segment used a longer portion of Harris' response than the interview that appeared on “60 Minutes,” which was edited to give viewers a sense of Harris's views on a broader range of topics.

CBS has moved to dismiss the case.

CBS was embroiled in another dispute in October, when “CBS Morning” co-host Tony Dokoupil grilled writer Ta-Nehisi Coates about whether his work expressed views on Israel. of disgust. On Oct. 7, the anniversary of Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel, CBS News executives told employees that Dokupil's reporting failed to meet the network's standards. The move was opposed by advocacy groups such as the Anti-Defamation League and even Paramount Worldwide controlling shareholder Sally Redstone.

On Monday, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt took issue with a Sunday broadcast of “60 Minutes” that examined former State Department officials' objections to the Biden administration's support for Israel's crackdown on Hamas. Greenblatt called the segment a “biased and one-sided segment” in a statement, noting that “even before this, CBS has been incredibly insensitive to Jewish issues of late. ”