Change continues to take hold at CBS News, and much of that is due to the decisions made by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. Since she assumed the major position in late 2025, Weiss has received backlash for some of the moves she’s made. Several former employees have even blasted her, while insiders have dropped claims about some staffers’ misgivings. Now, there’s a new report involving anchor Gayle King and, if this information is to be believed, the veteran journalist isn’t thrilled about one swap Weiss is reportedly considering.
A new rumor suggests that Bari Weiss is leaning towards shifting former CBS Mornings anchor Norah O’Donnell back to the show. This report coincides with claims that Weiss ultimately wants to revamp the entire program, making it similar to MS NOW’s Morning Joe in some respects. All of that should be taken with a grain of salt for right now, though a source still shared allegations with The New York Post about King’s supposedly strong feelings on the matter:
Gayle was not happy. She does not want Norah to return to the show.
O’Donnell, who's currently a 60 Minutes correspondent, previously anchored the show from 2012 to 2019, during which it was still known as CBS This Morning. Meanwhile, King has been headlining the show since 2011 following the cancellation of her eponymous talk show. As for why King purportedly takes issue with O’Donnell rejoining the series, another insider claims the two are “frenemies” after having a supposedly tense time working together years ago. That unnamed individual also shares the following claims:
Gayle is an authentic person. She loves the news. Norah loves the idea of being on the news.
Backlash Feels Like It's Everywhere For Bari Weiss, But One Broadcaster Has A Different Take
CBS Mornings has reportedly been having a difficult time attracting viewers in recent months. The program hit a major low earlier this summer, as it only notched an average of 1.59 million viewers during the week of July 13 (during which Gayle King and Nate Burleson were hosting). Said figure not only marked a 13% decrease in viewership from the previous week, but it was also the first time the show had ever come under a 1.6 million viewer average. A lot of blame has been put on CBS News President Tom Cibrowski, who some claim is “dead meat.” However, Weiss hasn’t emerged unscathed either.
Overall, Weiss has been criticized on several occasions during her time as the head of CBS News. In December, she drew backlash after pulling a 60 Minutes story about a prison in El Salvador at the last minute. The Free Press founder has also been accused of exhibiting political partiality when it comes to editorial matters. Many of the changes she’s made at 60 have also been derided, and since-fired correspondent Scott Pelley claimed she was “murdering” the show. Meanwhile, others have made claims of “journalist interference.”
A prospect that some industry bigwigs now allegedly fear is the prospect of Weiss running CNN should the Paramount Skydance/Warner Bros. Discovery merger go through. Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta expressed his hope that Weiss wouldn’t “murder” that network. Another ex-host, W. Kamau Bell, also expressed his misgivings over Weiss potentially running the company, given her work at CBS. For clarity, though, Paramount CEO David Ellison has not confirmed whether Weiss would actually run that brand.
Regardless, many eyes remain on Weiss as she continues to navigate her role at the Eye Network. As for the Norah O’Donnell situation, time will tell if she actually ends up getting reinstated and shares the air with Gayle King once more.
