Wave of layoffs and storm over Israel: TV network in the midst of a tumultuous battle

CBS is in the midst of a tumultuous battle involving a wave of widespread layoffs and a storm over its coverage of Israel. Chief editor Barry Weiss, who defines herself as a "zealous Zionist," fired a series of senior reporters and producers, sparking complaints of political bias. Veteran reporter Lesley Stahl, 84, confronted Weiss over a story about Israeli settlers in the West Bank, but its broadcast was not delayed this time, unlike previous cases.

The American television network CBS is in the midst of a tumultuous battle, including a wave of widespread layoffs and a storm over its coverage of Israel. Chief editor Barry Weiss, who defines herself as a "zealous Zionist," recently fired a series of senior reporters and producers, including Fley, Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega, executive producer Tanya Simon, and three other senior producers. The move sparked resentment among reporters who claimed Weiss is injecting political bias into coverage, a claim strongly denied by the network. Following the layoffs, veteran reporters Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and John Wertheim considered leaving in protest but were persuaded to stay after David Ellison, the owner of the parent company Skydance, personally called Stahl and promised to maintain the editorial independence of the program "60 Minutes." The current confrontation revolves around a story about Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Last December, Weiss delayed a story by Alfonsi about the deportation of illegal immigrants to a prison in El Salvador by the Trump administration, citing a lack of adequate response from the administration. This time, sources estimate, Weiss avoided further confrontation to spare her boss Ellison headaches, whose company recently acquired Warner Bros. Discovery. The merger between CBS's parent company and CNN's parent company casts doubt on Weiss's future and authority.