CBS in turmoil as US media feels pressure under Trump

Washington (United States) (AFP) – CBS, a mainstay of the broadcast television landscape, has been rattled by editorial changes that insiders fear are tied to President Donald Trump's influence, as concerns grow about a broader erosion of media independence in the United States.

Since CBS in mid-2025 became a part of Paramount Skydance, which is headed by Trump ally David Ellison, the network has clashed with its star latenight host Stephen Colbert, and seen a raft of journalists resign.

Colbert recently said the network blocked the broadcast of his interview with Texas Democrat James Talarico, who is running to unseat incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn.

Many CBS News journalists -- including top producers of the flagship newsmagazine "60 Minutes" -- have quit while airing complaints of interference in their editorial independence at the company.

"This is yet another troubling example of corporate capitulation in the face of this Administration’s broader campaign to censor and control speech," broadcast regulator Anna M. Gomez said in a statement.

Of the three current commissioners at the FCC, the government agency that regulates the airwaves, Gomez is the only one not appointed by Trump.

New CBS leadership was brought in at the end of 2025, with the appointment of Bari Weiss -- a longstanding critic of progressive politics -- as Editor in Chief.

Weiss sparked blowback with her first decisions at the helm of the newsroom, which included yanking a report on the Trump administration's anti-immigrant crackdown hours before it was scheduled to broadcast. It was later aired with a revised introduction.

During that time, many journalists chose to leave the CBS newsroom -- once home to famed US journalists Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow and a long reputation for excellence in American journalism.

Several current and former CBS journalists declined to comment to AFP, even anonymously, pointing to a climate of fear.

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