CBS News says it wants to get serious about bias. So, the network just created a new position: ombudsman. The job description sounds reasonable — someone who investigates complaints from viewers and evaluates whether coverage is fair. But here’s where it gets messy: they gave the job to Kenneth R. Weinstein.
Now, Weinstein isn’t just some neutral watchdog. He ran the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank, and was Donald Trump’s ambassador to Japan. He’s also donated tens of thousands of dollars to Republican and pro-Trump groups. Does that sound like someone who’s going to come in unbiased and rebuild public trust? Or does it sound like hiring a referee who already told one team he’s rooting for them?
Here’s why this matters. The appointment wasn’t random; it was one of the commitments CBS’s new parent company, Skydance, made to the Trump administration while pushing through its merger with Paramount. In other words: the news division’s editorial structure is being shaped, at least in part, by political pressure from the White House.
That’s not oversight — that’s influence.
And let’s not forget, Donald Trump has made the media his favorite punching bag for years, calling journalists “the enemy of the people” and suing outlets for billions whenever coverage doesn’t go his way. Just last year, he accused CBS of “election interference” because they cut a pause — yes, a pause — out of a Vice President Harris interview. To turn around and let him essentially handpick the bias referee at CBS feels less like accountability and more like capitulation.
Weinstein’s track record tells us exactly what kind of “bias” he’ll be hunting for. He’s a vocal defender of Israel, a critic of the Biden administration, and someone who’s compared the White House to the bumbling cast of “Veep,” the HBO show. That doesn’t make him a villain — he’s entitled to his opinions. But it makes him a questionable choice for a role that demands neutrality.
Now, to be fair, not every move CBS has floated lately is terrible. There’s talk of bringing in Bari Weiss, who left The New York Times in dramatic fashion a few years back, to shake up CBS News leadership. Agree with her or not, she could inject a fresh sensibility and attract younger, digital-savvy audiences. CBS desperately needs that. It’s stuck in third place behind NBC and ABC.
But hiring Weinstein as a bias checker? That’s absurd. It’s like asking a Trump appointee to be the umpire in a game where Trump is constantly yelling at the refs. If CBS really wanted to restore trust, they’d pick someone who has credibility with both sides — or better yet, someone with actual experience in journalism oversight.
Lindsey Granger is a News Nation contributor and co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising.” This column is an edited transcription of her on-air commentary.
