A “CBS Evening News” producer abruptly resigned on Wednesday, accusing the network of a “shifting set of ideological expectations” in a message that went viral on social media.
Alicia Hastey, who worked at CBS News since 2021, according to her LinkedIn profile, reportedly told colleagues that she took a buyout offer and would exit the network. In her farewell note, Hastey insisted she is proud of the work she did over the past four years before taking aim at the direction of CBS News under polarizing editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.
“[T]here has been a sweeping new vision prioritizing a break from traditional broadcast norms to embrace what has been described as ‘heterodox’ journalism,” Hastey wrote in a memo posted on X by New York Times reporter Ben Mullin.
“The truth is that commitment to those people and the stories they have to sell is increasingly becoming impossible,” Hastey continued. “Stories may instead be evaluated not just on their journalistic merit but on whether they conform to a shifting set of ideological expectations — a dynamic that pressures producers and reporters to self-censor or avoid challenging narratives that might trigger backlash or unfavorable headlines.”
BARI WEISS TELLS CBS NEWS STAFF THEY’RE ‘NOT PRODUCING A PRODUCT THAT ENOUGH PEOPLE WANT’
Hastey said that none of her comments detract from the “talent of all the journalists who remain at CBS News,” but added, “that is precisely what makes this moment so heartbreaking.”
“The very excellence we seek to sustain is hindered by fear and uncertainty,” she wrote.
Hastey then quoted CBS News legend Walter Cronkite, appearing to respond to accusations of liberal bias at the network.
“Walter Cronkite once said in a response to critics: ‘If that is what makes us liberals, so be it, just as long as in reporting the news we adhere to the first ideals of good journalism — that news reports must be fair, accurate and unbiased,’” Hastey wrote.
“Cronkite’s idea is one of the best I’ve encountered. He understood that labels are inevitable, but standards are what matter,” she continued. “What defines journalism is not what critics call it, but whether it remains faithful to those principles.”
The farewell note was roasted on social media by both members of the media industry and conservative critics of the mainstream press. Many took issue with Mullin calling the memo a “bombshell” when he posted it on X.
“NYT reporter uncovers ‘bombshell’: disgruntled mid-level employee quits job after new boss demands changes,” Wall Street Journal columnist Gerard Baker snarked.
Political strategist Tim Cameron added, “If you want to understand how ‘CBS Evening News’ fell to last place in its category after years of declin[ing] ratings, please read this unhinged farewell note from its producer.”
NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck wrote that it’s “insane these people are painting the CBS Evening News as though it’s MAGA Media,” a narrative that has set in with many left-wing media reporters.
CBS News did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hastey did not respond to a direct message seeking additional comment.
Many others took to social media with thoughts on the memo:
Mullin declined comment when asked about the framing of his post receiving criticism.
Weiss, who was handpicked by CEO David Ellison, was formally named editor-in-chief of CBS News in October after her outlet, The Free Press, was acquired by Paramount. The move drew both internal and external criticism, with some citing her opinion background and lack of television experience.
Weiss quickly put her stamp on the network, naming Tony Dokoupil as the new anchor of “CBS Evening News,” the show that Hastey is reportedly exiting. Weiss recently told staffers they are “not producing a product that enough people want” by focusing on linear television during an all-hands town hall event in which she laid out her vision for the network.
She has frustrated “60 Minutes” staffers by delaying a report on the notorious El Salvador prison CECOT and has been accused by liberals of carrying water for President Donald Trump‘s administration. However, others have embraced her attempt to rid CBS News of its liberal slant.
CBS has faced criticism from the Trump administration over some of its reporting, including a recent report about the number of illegal immigrants with violent criminal records.
