‘CBS Evening News’ Producer Exits, Says Staff is Pressured to ‘Self-Censor’ Under Bari Weiss Leadership

CBS Evening News producer Alicia Hastey left the network and shared a parting note with her colleagues.

On Wednesday, February 11, New York Times reporter Ben Mullin shared screenshots allegedly of Hastey’s message, in which she explained that, after four years at CBS, she took a buyout, noting expectations had changed, seemingly under the leadership of new CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.

“There has been a sweeping new vision prioritizing a break from traditional broadcast norms to embrace what has been described as ‘heterodox’ journalism,” Hasetey wrote in part. “The truth is that commitment to those people and the stories they have to tell is increasingly becoming impossible.”

“Stories may instead be evaluated not just on their journalistic merit but on whether they conform to a shifting set of ideological expectations — a dynamic that pressures producers and reporters to self-censor or avoid challenging narratives that might trigger backlash or unfavorable headlines,” she added.

As the National Enquirer previously reported, Variety revealed last month that the broadcaster was seeking buyouts at CBS Evening News.

According to the outlet, newly appointed anchor Tony Dokoupil tried to dissuade management from making any cuts in the “Evening News” force.

Weiss, 41, held a town hall on Tuesday, January 27, where she declared, “I am here to make CBS News fit for purpose in the 21st century,” and asked staffers to consider “how can we produce the most revelatory stories for an audience that expects the news immediately and on demand.”

Additionally, CBS unveiled multiple new contributors they hired that day, including Dr. Peter Attia, who was mentioned in the Epstein files and has since drawn criticism and issued a public apology.