“Hindered by fear”: CBS producer paints picture of Bari Weiss’ “vision” in resignation letter
A producer for “CBS Evening News” worried about the direction the network is taking in a farewell letter to her colleagues, saying that the “excellence” employees “seek to sustain is hindered by fear and uncertainty.” The letter from producer Alicia Hastey was shared on social media by New York Times reporter Ben Mullin. While Hastey never mentioned Bari Weiss or newly appointed anchor Tony Dokoupil by name, she fretted about the “sweeping new vision” of the Tiffany Network. “There has been a sweeping new vision prioritizing a break from traditional broadcast norms to embrace what has been described as ‘heterodox’ journalism,” she said. “Stories may instead be evaluated not just on their journalistic merit but on whether they conform to a shifting set of ideological expectations.” Halsey said that the new era of CBS “pressures producers and reporters to self-censor or avoid challenging narratives that might trigger backlash or unfavorable headlines.” She closed her letter with a nod to legendary CBS anchor Walter Cronkite, quoting his response to the idea that his news coverage leaned …


