*Gayle King is facing criticism from CBS News colleagues following her endorsement of network chief Bari Weiss during a recent meeting. According to The Daily Beast, King offered strong support for Weiss, calling her “beloved” and saying she would be at the network “long into the future,” which drew backlash from employees concerned about the network’s leadership direction.
During her remarks, King praised Weiss’s vision and expressed approval that staff could finally hear directly from the executive. “I like Bari, that you laid out a vision,” King said. “For many people, they’ve never even heard your freakin’ voice. So it’s good for them to hear — to see you’re a real person, and this is what you want, and how you feel about us, and how you feel about this job.”
King also predicted the meeting’s contents would leak to the media, stating, “I’ll be curious to see how long it takes for this to get out. ‘Cause it’ll be somebody in this room.”
Multiple CBS insiders told The Independent that King’s comments appeared self-serving rather than addressing legitimate staff concerns about Weiss’s leadership. One employee characterized King’s approach as making the session “about her not liking the fact that people are talking to the press about her future at CBS News. Forget the substance of people’s grievances and fears.” Sources suggest King’s defense of Weiss may represent an attempt to preserve her position on “CBS Mornings,” particularly as her $15 million annual salary faces scrutiny under the new administration.
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According to Variety, CBS News is experiencing significant internal tension under Weiss, who arrived at the network in October after Paramount purchased her conservative opinion site The Free Press for $150 million. Staff members have questioned several recent editorial choices, including how quickly Dokoupil was named “Evening News” anchor, a town hall featuring Erika Kirk that lacked traditional advertising support, and the cancellation of a planned “60 Minutes” piece.
One CBS staffer described King as someone who has “never been a leader” at the network, adding that employees need “someone the staff can rally around.” However, at least one employee reported that King received applause throughout her speech, with “nothing but positive feelings at the end of the town hall yesterday.”
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