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Veteran CBS News Producer Mary Walsh Exits, Alleging Political Pressure in Farewell Memo

Her exit highlights tension over CBS News’ new direction under Bari Weiss during a wave of buyouts.

Overview

  • In a note marking her departure after 46 years, Walsh wrote, “We’ve been told to aim our reporting at a particular part of the political spectrum,” without specifying which part.
  • CBS Evening News executive producer Kim Harvey disputed Walsh’s characterization, saying the claim that leadership asked for politically targeted coverage “is simply not true.”
  • Walsh accepted a voluntary buyout, joining roughly a dozen producers reported to have left the Evening News as the program transitions under Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss and new anchor Tony Dokoupil.
  • Other recent departures and memos, including producer Alicia Hastey’s critique of a move toward “heterodox” journalism and the ouster of No. 2 producer Javier Guzman, underscore internal unease over the shift.
  • The personnel changes are unfolding as Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery announced a merger and as industry reporting points to additional CBS News layoffs expected later this spring.