UPDATED: Paramount has tapped Kenneth R. Weinstein, former president and CEO of the Hudson Institute, a right-leaning D.C. think tank, to serve as ombudsman for CBS News.
Skydance committed to hiring an ombudsman as it sought FCC regulatory approval of its acquisition of Paramount.
In choosing Weinstein, Paramount is selecting someone who will undoubtedly be scrutinized for bias toward the right, given his contributions to Donald Trump’s reelection campaign and the fact that the president, in his first term, nominated him to serve as ambassador to Japan. He will report to Jeff Shell, president of Paramount.
Per Paramount, under the ombudsman process, Weinstein will take complaints from consumers, employees and others. He will review them and, if they require action, will raise it to Shell and George Cheeks, chair of TV Media. “After assessing the complaint, and if they collectively determine that such outreach is necessary, Weinstein, Shell, and Cheeks will address the complaint with the President and Executive Editor of CBS News, Tom Cibrowski, who will recommend and implement any necessary action steps,” per Paramount.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr praised Skydance’s commitment to hire an ombudsman, suggesting that it would lead to the network embodying “a diversity of viewpoints from across the political and ideological spectrum.” But Anna Gomez, the sole Democrat on the FCC, said that the ombudsman role would essentially be a “check” on the news division.
On X on Monday, Gomez wrote, “The job of this FCC-imposed ‘truth’ monitor must not be to judge whether independent reporting conforms to this Administration’s views and priorities. That’s a clear violation of the First Amendment and the law. Everyone should be watching their actions closely and urging CBS to find its courage by reclaiming the independence that made it a trusted voice in American journalism.”
A Paramount spokesperson said that complaints to the ombudsman will not be made public. One conservative group, the Center for American Rights, has continuously filed complaints with the FCC over alleged bias at CBS and other broadcast networks, and its complaint over the way that 60 Minutes edited an interview with Kamala Harris is still before the agency. But the FCC says that its authority over broadcast news content is narrow, given the First Amendment.
Éric Zemmour and Ken Weinstein attend Inauguration Eve event hosted by Uber, X and The Free Press at Cafe Riggs on Jan. 19.
Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Uber, X and The Free Press
A Paramount spokesperson said that Weinstein would not be made available for interviews.
Shell said in a statement, “At a time when trust in media is more important than ever, this new role reinforces our commitment to truth, trust, and accountability. I’ve known him for many years and have great respect for his integrity, sound judgment, and thoughtful approach to complex issues. Ken brings not only a wealth of advisory experience in media and beyond but also a calm, measured perspective that makes him exceptionally well-suited to serve as our Ombudsman.”
Weinstein said, “I am honored to serve as Ombudsman for CBS News, one of the most respected journalistic institutions in the world. I look forward to supporting the talented team behind its reporting and to stewarding public trust in this critical institution.”
The Hudson Institute is a think tank that has focused on national security and foreign policy issues, and it generally regarded as leaning to the right. Weinstein chaired the Broadcasting Board of Governors during Trump’s first term, after being nominated to the board by President Barack Obama in 2013. President George W. Bush also tapped him to serve on the National Council for the Humanities. After Trump picked him to serve as U.S. ambassador to Japan in 2020, the nomination never got a confirmation vote in the Senate, and lapsed at the end of Trump’s term. Weinstein also served on Trump’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations during the first term.
According to records from the Federal Election Commission, Weinstein last year donated $20,000 to the Trump 47 Committee, a joint fundraising committee to boost the GOP and Trump’s efforts to win back the White House. He also gave to related committees, including $6,600 to Never Surrender and $5,000 to Save America. He also gave to the presidential campaigns of Mike Pence and Nikki Haley.
The Skydance/Paramount commitment for an ombudsman is for a period of two years.
When Comcast acquired NBCUniversal in 2011, it committed to an ombudsman role, as concerns were raised of the potential for corporate interference in the news division. David McCormick, vice president of standards at NBC News, had already been serving as ombudsman in 1993, and expanded his duties to other NBCU news properties. Kevin Keeshan also was hired to serve as ombudsman for NBC-owned broadcast stations.
But in contrast to the NBCU ombudsman, Weinstein has no experience in working in the day-to-day operations of a news organization. It’s unclear what the repercussions will be if, say, Cibrowski disagrees with the ombudsman’s conclusions and declines to take actions. Newspapers have retained ombudsmen, but they typically have taken on the role of columnist and published their findings on a regular basis.
The Paramount announcement follows post-merger complaints from the Trump administration over an edit made to an Aug. 31 Face the Nation interview with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Noem attacked the network for leaving out a portion where she said that Kilmar Abrego Garcia was “a known human smuggler, MS-13 gang member, an individual who’s a wife beater, and someone who was so perverted that he solicited nude photos from minors,” among other allegations. Her remark was included in the interview posted online and in the transcript, but what the network edited out were a number of unproven allegations, including that he was an MS-13 gang member.
On Friday, CBS News announced a new policy to “only broadcast live or live-to-tape interviews (subject to national security or legal restrictions).” That means the onus will be on the Face the Nation moderator to call out, in real time, false claims or unproven allegations.
“This extra measure means the television audience will see the full, unedited interview on CBS and we will continue our practice of posting full transcripts and the unedited video online,” the network said.
There also have been reports that Paramount is eyeing a purchase of The Free Press, the site launched by opinion columnist Bari Weiss, including a role at CBS News. The company has not commented on the reports.
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