‘Woke’ CBS News standards chief is Bari Weiss’ ‘first scalp,’ as new boss remakes network

Standards & Practices boss Claudia Milne exited CBS News on Thursday.CBS Newsfxd

The head of CBS News’ standards and practices division, Claudia Milne, has left the network as new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss moves to reshape the network’s editorial approach. Milne, who oversaw the division responsible for ensuring the moral, ethical, and legal integrity of CBS programming, is the first senior executive to exit since Weiss assumed leadership earlier this month.

While her role had been “slowly phased out,” a CBS insider described Milne’s departure as “significant,” suggesting it reflects a broader editorial shift. “She was part of the woke mob at CBS News. It shows an editorial shift in how CBS will operate,” the source said, speculating, “this is Bari’s first scalp.”

In a farewell note to colleagues shared with Variety, Milne emphasized the importance of journalistic accountability: “We live in complicated times. For our company, for our industry, and for our country. And it’s times like this that what we do matters most. I believe our role as journalists is to hold the powerful to account.”

Milne, who led the unit since 2021, had been involved in several controversial decisions, including coverage of the Nashville, Tennessee, shooter, the decision to spike an interview with Elon Musk, and recent reporting on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

In 2023, Milne and then-news division president Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews reportedly banned staffers from using the word “transgender” when reporting on the Nashville shooter, Audrey Hale. Police had identified Hale as a transgender woman, but Milne and Ciprian-Matthews reportedly spent 15 minutes instructing staff not to report this, arguing it may not be relevant to the shooter’s motive. A CBS insider called the move “absurd,” saying, “If the cops didn’t address it, maybe you could avoid it, but withholding information is not journalism.”

Milne was also involved in blocking former CBS correspondent Catherine Herridge from interviewing Musk in 2023. Musk, who had made headlines with his release of the “Twitter Files,” had agreed to a live interview, but executives reportedly opted to pass on the session over concerns about what he might say. Herridge expressed frustration, noting, “Isn’t that the point of journalism? You don’t know what the person’s going to say.”

Another high-profile controversy under Milne’s tenure involved “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil, who was criticized for challenging author Ta-Nehisi Coates on his portrayal of Israel as an “apartheid” state. Then-news leadership said the interview fell short of the network’s standards for neutrality and objectivity. CBS owner Shari Redstone publicly defended Dokoupil, calling his interview “great,” and has been vocal about perceived bias in “60 Minutes” coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Milne’s exit comes as CBS navigates new leadership and ownership changes. David Ellison, whose Skydance merged with CBS parent company Paramount in August, has recently taken steps to address concerns about liberal bias following a lawsuit settlement with President Trump over a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. In recent weeks, Ellison hired Weiss, acquired her right-of-center news site The Free Press, and brought in former Trump adviser Keneth Weinstein as ombudsman.

These moves had already diminished the influence of the standards unit. In 2025, Susan Zirinsky was appointed interim head of standards amid bias concerns, followed by Al Ortiz overseeing “60 Minutes” content. Milne’s departure underscores the network’s ongoing editorial transformation under Weiss and Ellison.

Original Source