CBS News Reinvents Itself: Major Changes Shape America’s Tiffany Network in 2025
A Year of Transformation at CBS News
CBS News has embarked on a bold reinvention of its venerable ‘CBS Evening News’ program, offering fewer but more in-depth stories. The network has consistently run third behind its broadcast competitors for years, prompting significant changes across its news division.
Leadership and Format Changes
Following Norah O’Donnell’s departure after more than five years as anchor, CBS News has implemented a new shared newsgathering approach. The network now features John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois as co-anchors, with Margaret Brennan providing Washington perspective and Lonnie Quinn covering national weather.
The new format emphasizes enterprise and feature storytelling, acknowledging that viewers can access breaking headlines from numerous digital and traditional sources.
Weather Coverage Enhancement
The network has also strengthened its weather reporting capabilities by adding a rotating cast of forecasters to ‘CBS Mornings.’ The coverage includes Jessica Burch from KPIX in San Francisco and Kate Bilo from KYW in Philadelphia, utilizing the network’s mixed reality technology.
Future Prospects and Challenges
The news division faces significant challenges in determining audience preferences. While traditional evening news still attracts a substantial viewership – with nearly 17.3 million people watching the three major network newscasts last week – the landscape is changing. More viewers are accessing minute-by-minute news updates through web and social media, and the emergence of AI technology could potentially transform how people consume news summaries.
Despite these challenges, CBS News remains optimistic about its new direction, focusing on producing content that aligns more closely with what viewers and journalism enthusiasts say they want.
