CBS News president faces controversy and criticism in first year at the helm
Wendy McMahon, president of CBS News, is facing significant challenges in her first year, grappling with multiple crises in the newsroom. Recent key issues include backlash over the editing of a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris and controversies surrounding anchor Tony Dokoupil’s questioning of journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates about Israel.
McMahon’s leadership has been overshadowed by interventions from her higher-ups. Shari Redstone, a media executive at Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, has taken an active role in editorial discussions, emphasizing the need for balanced coverage of Middle East issues.
In response to internal and external concerns, CBS News is considering an editorial review aimed at improving fairness in reporting. This effort includes investigating employee reports of antisemitism, anti-Muslim views, racism and sexism in the newsroom.
McMahon’s leadership comes at a pivotal time as Paramount merges with Skydance Media. She is scheduled to meet with Jeff Shell, the incoming president of Paramount Global. An outsider to network news with a background in local television, McMahon became CBS News president in August 2023.
She is implementing changes within the news division, including a leadership reshuffle and an emphasis on long-form journalism. Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has weighed in on the ethics concerns surrounding CBS, criticizing how the network handled the Ta-Nehisi Coates book interview.
“I believe in messy conversations, even if it veers off, as long as people are respectful,” Lemon said on the “Don Lemon Show.” “Why are the inmates running the asylum? Why are you responding? Of course you should respond to people, ‘We hear you, we want you to express your opinion, we are standing by our journalist.’ Even if you have issues with him, you address those issues with him, not in public.”
Following the public dustup, Redstone called Dokoupil to praise him for a job well done and had dinner with him earlier this week, according to The Wall Street Journal. However, CBS has not publicly addressed the “60 Minutes” Harris interview controversy, despite polling showing overwhelming support for the network to release the transcript.
Americans’ trust in media, US government reaches all-time low
Americans’ trust in the media and Congress has hit a historic low, according to a new Gallup poll, while confidence in local government remains significantly higher. The poll highlights a deep partisan divide, with Republicans expressing particularly low confidence in the media.
According to the survey, only 31% of Americans trust mass media to report news fully, accurately and fairly, making it the least trusted civic institution.
Gallup/Straight Arrow News
By comparison, 67% of respondents say they trust their local government, and 34% express trust in Congress.
The survey also shows that only 12% of Republicans trust the media, compared to 54% of Democrats and 27% of Independents.
Media trust saw a slight rebound after falling to 32% in 2016, but the latest numbers suggest any recovery has evaporated. The implications of this declining trust remain unclear, though it points to growing demand for transparency and accountability in national institutions.
Majority of voters want to see CBS transcript of Harris interview: Poll
About 85% of Americans want CBS to release the full transcript of Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent interview on “60 Minutes.” According to a new Harvard poll, more than half of Americans believe CBS edited the interview to present Harris in a more favorable light.
Calls for transparency have gained bipartisan support, with 87% of Democrats, 88% of Republicans and 80% of independents wanting to see or read the unedited version of the interview.
Former CBS News reporter Catherine Herridge, who conducted the 2020 interview with Trump, is among those urging her former network to treat Harris’ interview similarly and release the transcript.
NEW CONTEXT:
As Trump campaign calls on @60Minutes to release “full, unedited transcript” of Kamala Harris interview…
There is precedent.
When I interviewed then President Trump in July 2020 @CBSNews we posted the interview transcript.
Despite the growing push for transparency, CBS has not indicated whether it will release the “60 Minutes” transcript and has not commented on the edited answers from Harris.
The network has a Race and Culture unit, established in 2020, to ensure the “tone, content, and intention” of segments are appropriate. According to reporting by Dylan Byers, journalists at the network are required to run their interview questions by this unit.
Byers noted that the unit determined while Dokoupil’s questions and intentions were acceptable, his tone was not. The network’s Standards and Practices division found that Dokoupil did not adhere to the preproduction process requiring questions to be vetted through both Race and Culture and Standards and Practices.
The New York Times also reported that Dokoupil had to meet with these units, focusing on his “tone of voice, phrasing, and body language” during the interview.
During an all-hands meeting, which was intended to be confidential but leaked, Dokoupil’s violation of standards was announced, leading to a divide between supporters and critics.
“For many of the network’s employees, the episode demonstrated the latest example of Dokoupil’s pro-Israel editorializing,” Byers wrote in his report. “Dokoupil is Jewish, and his ex-wife and children live in Israel, and many criticized him for bringing his personal emotions into the coverage.”
“For others, including many of the network’s more veteran journalists, Dokoupil had actually upheld CBS’s journalistic values by asking tough questions of a guest with an overt anti-Israel bias,” Byers wrote.
FCC chair responds to Trump’s call for CBS to lose license over Harris interview
Former President Donald Trump accused CBS of altering a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris to make her appear more presidential. Trump also demanded the network lose its broadcast license.
Posting on Truth Social and X, Trump called the incident “the greatest fraud in broadcast history,” sparking widespread debate and further straining his contentious relationship with the media.
The controversy began after a teaser for Harris’s Oct. 7 interview showed a sequence that differed slightly from the full broadcast. Trump accused CBS of editing Harris’s answers, claiming the network was deliberately enhancing her image.
In response, FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel firmly rejected Trump’s demands, stating that broadcast licenses cannot be revoked due to political disagreements. She reiterated the FCC’s commitment to free speech and media independence, calling the First Amendment “a cornerstone of our democracy.”
“We do not control CBS’s production decisions and refer questions to CBS,” the campaign said in a statement.
This is not the first time Trump has targeted a major network. He previously called for ABC’s license to be revoked after the September 2024 presidential debate. However, the FCC maintained that media freedom remains vital, regardless of political disagreements.
Paramount chair defends reprimanded CBS anchor over controversial interview
A CBS morning news anchor recently faced criticism following an interview with author Ta-Nehisi Coates. The discussion centered on Coates’ new book, “The Message,” particularly a section addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
During the interview, Coates was questioned about his portrayal of the conflict.
“The content of that section would not be out of place in the backpack of an extremist,” anchor Tony Dokoupil said. “Why not detail anything of the first and second intifadas, the bombings, little kids blown to bits? Is it because you just don’t believe that Israel, in any condition, has a right to exist?”
In response, Coates said, “There is no shortage of that perspective in American media.”
The interview lasted approximately seven minutes and featured challenging questions. CBS executives later stated that the interview prompted an internal investigation following viewer complaints, resulting in a reprimand for the anchor in a newsroom call. The executives indicated that the interview fell short of the network’s “editorial standards.”
However, Shari Redstone, chair of CBS parent company Paramount Global, has defended Dokoupil. She described the network’s open criticism of the longtime news anchor as a “bad mistake” and commended him for facilitating “civil discourse” on a sensitive and longstanding issue.
“If you were to read this book you would be left wondering why does any of Israel exist, what a horrific place. So I think the question is central and key, if Israel has a right to defend itself, and the answer is no, then why do the Palestinians have a right to exist? Why do 20 Muslim countries have a right to exist?” Dekoupil asked Coates.
“No country in this world establishes its ability to exist through rights; countries establish their ability to exist through force,” Coates responded.
Redstone expressed her appreciation of having Coates on the program but stressed the importance of challenging his views.
“We have to also provide the opportunity to challenge him on what he says, just like we challenge everybody else,” she said. “We need to have better education about how to challenge people in the civil way, which, frankly, I think Tony did.”
Headlines compared: Kamala Harris’ multiple answers to ‘60 Minutes’ question
CBS has broadcast two different versions of a portion of its “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. Publications have generated a number of different takes on the story.
The Daily Beast: “Trump, Still Fixated on ‘60 Minutes,’ Whines About ‘Illegal’ Edits to Harris’ Sit-Down”
The Hill: “Trump: ‘60 Minutes’ producers ‘sliced and diced’ Harris interview”
Fox News: “CBS ’60 Minutes’ airs two different answers from VP Harris to the same question”
Responses to how this happened and the seriousness of the issue vary depending on the news outlet. However, they all focus on the same two clips: one aired Sunday, Oct. 6, on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” teasing the interview, and the other aired Monday, Oct. 7, during the “60 Minutes” program.
When questioned about the war in the Middle East, Harris said in the “Face the Nation” clip, “Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.”
In the “60 Minutes” version of the answer to the same prompt by Bill Whitaker, Harris said, “We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.”
Trump criticized “60 Minutes” over the edits and called for the release of the interview transcript.
He posted on Truth Social, “I have never heard of such a thing being done in ‘News.’ It is the very definition of FAKE NEWS! The public is owed a MAJOR AND IMMEDIATE APOLOGY! This is an open and shut case, and must be investigated, starting today.”
Different news outlets provide various insights on the story.
An article from the Daily Beast, which is rated as left-leaning by AllSides, it was stated, “What upset the Trump campaign is that part of Harris’s answers that were broadcast on ‘Face the Nation’—and which Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt mocked as ‘epic word salad’—were left out when ’60 Minutes’ went to air.”
The article’s subhead read, “Trump—who spent seven years as the producer and host of a reality television show—pretended not to know how editing works.”
The Hill, rated as centrist by AllSides, wrote, “It is standard practice for broadcast outlets to edit questions and answers during interviews with major newsmakers for clarity, accuracy, and time.”
The outlet also remarked, “Trump has made criticism of mainstream media outlets a hallmark of his campaign for the White House this year.”
Fox News, rated as right-leaning, said, “Sometimes interviews are edited to save time, but when CBS aired the interview on Monday night, Harris had a different answer to the exact same question. It is unclear why CBS aired two different answers to the same question.”
CBS News has not yet commented on the coverage of its edit of Harris’ interview.
Trump backs out of ’60 Minutes’ election special, Harris interview to still air: CBS
CBS News says former President Trump has backed out an upcoming interview with “60 Minutes.” For decades, “60 Minutes” has broadcast election specials with the presidential candidates. CBS reported both Trump and Vice President Harris had agreed to take part in this year’s special in separate one-on-one interviews, but Trump has since reportedly changed his mind.
In a press conference Tuesday night, Oct. 1, Trump said his decision was based on his last interview with CBS anchor Lesley Stahl in 2020 — which he walked out of early.
“They came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first, I want to get an apology because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the laptop from hell was from Russia. And I said, ‘It wasn’t from Russia, it was from Hunter [Biden].’ And I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes’, I do everything.”
In a statement of its own, “60 Minutes” said the special will still move forward.
“Our election special will broadcast the Harris interview on Monday as planned,” the statement read. “Our original invitation to former President Donald Trump to be interviewed on ’60 Minutes’ stands.”
Vance, Walz defend their running mates’ records in vice presidential debate
We have a recap of the first, and likely only, vice presidential debate of 2024. And Iran has launched its largest attack ever on Israel. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024.
Vance, Walz defend their running mates’ records in vice presidential debate
For the first time, the two vice presidential candidates took the stage next to one another Tuesday night, Oct. 1. Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz introduced themselves to American voters while defending their running mates’ opposing views.
Vance and Walz kept the vice presidential debate cordial, at various times saying they agreed with the other, but they sparred on the policies and the statements made by their parties’ presidential nominees, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Look if you’re going to be president, you don’t have all the answers. Donald Trump believes he does. My pro tip of the day is this, if you need heart surgery, listen to the people at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, not Donald Trump,” Walz said.
“I honestly, Tim, I think you got a tough job here because you’ve got to play whack-a-mole; you’ve got to pretend that Donald Trump didn’t deliver rising take-home pay, which of course he did; you’ve got to pretend that Donald Trump didn’t deliver lower inflation, which of course he did; and then you simultaneously got to defend Kamala Harris’ atrocious economic record,” Vance said.
The debate covered many topics including abortion, climate change, the economy and health care. The two opened the 90-minute CBS News debate discussing the conflict in the Middle East and the need for stability in the White House.
“I’m 40 years old, when was the last time that an American president didn’t have a major conflict break out? The only answer is during the four years that Donald Trump was president,” Vance said.
“So Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon than they were before because of Donald Trump’s fickle leadership. And when Iran shot down an American aircraft in international airspace, Donald Trump tweeted because that’s the standard diplomacy of Donald Trump,” Walz said.
On illegal immigration, Vance and Walz disagreed on whether former President Trump’s involvement helps or hurts solving the border crisis.
“But as soon as I was getting ready to pass [legislation] and actually tackle this, Donald Trump said no, told them to vote against it because it gives him a campaign issue,” Walz said.
“We have a historic immigration crisis because Kamala Harris started and said that she wanted to undo all of Donald Trump’s border policies — 94 executive orders, suspending deportations, decriminalizing illegal aliens, massively increasing the asylum fraud that exists in our system. That has opened the floodgates,” Vance said.
When the debate turned to gun violence, the two VP contenders shared a moment, highlighting the human aspect and often the aftermath.
“I think all the parents watching tonight, this is just your biggest nightmare. Look, I got a 17-year-old and he witnessed a shooting at a community center playing volleyball, those things don’t leave you,” Walz said.
When it was his turn to speak, Vance responded, “Tim, first of all, I didn’t know that your 17-year-old witnessed a shooting and I’m sorry about that and I hope he’s doing OK. Christ have mercy, it is it is awful.”
Things, however, turned contentious over the 2020 election and Jan. 6.
“[January 6, 2021] was a threat to our democracy in a way that we had not seen, and it manifested itself because of Donald Trump’s inability to say — he is still saying, he didn’t lose the election,” Walz said.
Vance replied, “Tim, I’m focused on the future. Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their mind in the wake of the 2020 COVID situation?”
“That is a damning non-answer,” Walz said.
Both candidates thanked each other for the debate and the viewers at home, who will make their decision at the polls on Election Day, Nov. 5, in just 34 days.
Trump backs out of ’60 Minutes’ election special; Harris interview to still air
CBS News says former President Trump has backed out an upcoming interview with “60 Minutes.”
For decades, “60 Minutes” has broadcast election specials with the candidates. CBS reported both Trump and Vice President Harris had agreed to take part in this year’s special in separate one-on-one interviews, but Trump has since reportedly changed his mind.
In a press conference last night, Trump said his decision was based on his last interview with CBS anchor Lesley Stahl in 2020 — which he walked out of early.
“They came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first, I want to get an apology because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the laptop from hell was from Russia. And I said, ‘It wasn’t from Russia, it was from Hunter [Biden].’ And I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes’, I do everything.”
In a statement of its own, “60 Minutes” said the special will still move forward.
“Our election special will broadcast the Harris interview on Monday as planned,” the statement read. “Our original invitation to former President Donald Trump to be interviewed on ’60 Minutes’ stands.”
The special is set to air Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. ET.
Iran launches largest-ever attack on Israel; Israel vows retaliation
Israel has vowed to retaliate after Iran launched its largest ever attack on Israel. Late Tuesday, Iran fired more than 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, most of which seem to have been intercepted by the Israeli military with help from the United States and other allies.
So far, one person has been reported to have died in the attack, and the extent of the damage is not yet known.
Iran’s military chief also warned of broader strikes if Israel responds. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already vowed to do so, saying, “Iran made a big mistake and it will pay for it.”
Also Tuesday, just before Iran’s barrage began, at least six people were killed and a dozen more hurt when Israeli police say two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a train station in Tel Aviv. Police say the shooting was an act of terrorism and one of the gunmen was killed at the scene while the other was severely injured.
No specific group has claimed responsibility for that deadly attack.
Search and rescue efforts continue in North Carolina after Helene
Combs is already being held without bond at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.
He has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers have said he is innocent of all charges.
Louisiana governor supports bringing back live tiger mascot to LSU games
College sports are known for fierce competition. Now the governor of Louisiana is looking at making things even more ferocious by bringing back an old Louisiana State University football mainstay.
Officials from PETA are now speaking out against the idea, saying it would be cruel and dangerous for the animal.
These days, the current tiger mascot is on campus in an enclosure near the stadium, but the governor says returning the tiger to the field would be “an unbelievable opportunity.” LSU officials have not yet commented on whether there is a possibility of seeing a live tiger at football games once again.
Dockworkers begin strike at East and Gulf coast ports
Tens of thousands of dockworkers are now on strike across the country — what that could mean for you. And the first and only vice presidential debate is just hours away. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024.
Dockworkers begin strike at east and gulf coast ports
Thousands of dockworkers along the East and Gulf coasts have walked off the job, impacting the movement of billions of dollars’ worth of goods. They took to the picket lines just after midnight Tuesday, Oct. 1, once the contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance officially lapsed.
The ILA has been calling for higher wages for workers and a total ban on automation in a new contract at some of the busiest ports in the country.
The two sides have not met face-to-face since June. Monday, Sept. 30, the Maritime Alliance asked for an extension, but the ILA did not grant one.
The strike has the potential to cause shortages and price increases of consumer goods right as the holiday shopping season approaches. Trucking companies and freight rail operators were scrambling to move billions in products in advance of the strike.
President Joe Biden could invoke a federal labor law to force the longshoremen back to work, but he has said he has no intention of doing that. Straight Arrow News’ Business Correspondent Simone Del Rosario spoke with Syracuse University Professor of Supply Chain Practice Patrick Penfield about when he thinks the White House should step in.
“I give it at least five days, I think,” Penfield said. “After that, I think the government really needs to step in.”
He added, “I think that’s really all we can afford, to be honest with you. And I think, again, if you’re the Biden administration, this is probably a worry because it’s an election year, right? So, again, if the constituents see that there’s issues and problems here and you don’t resolve them, then that could be bad for, you know, whoever’s running for office.”
JD Vance, Tim Walz to take the stage for vice presidential debate tonight
Tuesday is debate night in America once again, this time, between the two vice presidential nominees. Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will participate in the first and only vice presidential debate with just 35 days to go until Election Day.
The 90-minute debate will be hosted by CBS News and simulcast on other networks. It will take place from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City and moderated by “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan.
There will be two commercial breaks during which campaign staff cannot interact with their candidates. Pre-written notes are not allowed and, unlike the presidential debates, a candidate’s microphone will not be muted when the other is talking.
On Thursday, Sept. 26, Vance won the virtual coin toss and opted to go last with his closing statement.
The Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris visited FEMA headquarters, where she told them she and President Biden would do everything they could to help the communities impacted.
“The destruction we have seen in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia is heartbreaking,” Harris said. “In coordination with state and local officials, President Biden and I will continue to make sure that communities have the support and the resources that they need not only to respond to this storm and its immediate aftermath but also the resources they will need to recover.”
President Biden said he will visit hard-hit North Carolina on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Harris said she will be on the ground “as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, Republican nominee former President Donald Trump visited Valdosta, Georgia, which suffered severe damage from Helene. While there, Trump said this was not a time for politics.
“As you know, our country is in the final weeks of a hard-fought national election, but in a time like this, when a crisis hits, when our fellow citizens cry out in need, none of that matters,” he said. “We’re not talking about politics now. We have to all get together and get this solved. We need a lot of help. They have to have a lot of help down here. We look out for one another. We pull together, we pitch in, we persevere and we pull it through. That is really the American spirit. That’s what made America originally great.”
Though Trump said he’d leave politics out of it, some of his words caused controversy in Washington. Trump claimed President Biden had not spoken with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R).
Biden responded saying Trump is lying and Kemp himself said he spoke with the president on Sunday, Sept. 29.
Israel launches ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon
The newest phase of war in the Middle East appears to have officially arrived as Israel has begun ground attacks in Lebanon. It’s the escalation in fighting there that the United States and its allies have been trying to keep from happening for weeks now.
Israel now says there’s intense fighting between its troops and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, which started launching strikes against Israel not long after the war with Hamas broke out in October of last year. Hezbollah has said the strikes are a show of solidarity with Hamas.
On Tuesday, Hezbollah said it had launched rocket and artillery attacks against Israeli troops at positions within Israel, but didn’t mention Israeli forces within Lebanon.
CVS board assessing options, including potential company break-up
CVS could be splitting up. According to a new report from Reuters, the company is exploring options to potentially separate its retail and insurance units, as it struggles to rebound into the health care giant that company leaders have been envisioning.
Investors want the company to improve its operations as CVS’ earnings outlook continues to decrease.
Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters the company’s board has been discussing options with its financial advisers in recent weeks — including what a possible split could look like. The sources said the board has not made any decisions yet and could still choose not to make any major changes to the business.
Fmr. NBA star Dikembe Mutombo, MLB hit king Pete Rose pass away
The sports world is remembering two gifted athletes who died on Monday.
Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo passed away at the age of 58 after a battle with brain cancer. Mutombo played 18 seasons in the NBA, was an eight-time All-Star and went on to serve as the league’s first global ambassador.
He became famous for his finger wag after blocking another player’s shot.
In a statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called Mutombo “simply larger than life.”
In his 24-year career, Rose won three World Series championships and was a 17-time All-Star.
However, his career took a turn in 1989 when he was banned from baseball for gambling on games as manager of the Cincinnati Reds. After denying it for many years, Rose would eventually admit he did bet on games in his 2004 autobiography.
Despite not being in the Hall of Fame, Rose still remains on top of the MLB’s career hit list with 4,256 hits. Fans and supporters will remember him as “Charlie Hustle.”
