Norah O'Donnell, a prominent anchor for a major broadcast news organization, is actively encouraging viewers who have expressed reservations about the network's recent editorial leadership to nonetheless tune in to "CBS Mornings." Her call comes as she prepares to rejoin the flagship morning program.
O'Donnell is slated to return to the morning desk alongside Gayle King and Nate Burleson. She previously co-hosted the program, then known as "CBS This Morning," from 2012 to 2019. Her return fills a vacancy created by Tony Dokoupil's transition to anchor "CBS Evening News." Her official on-air debut is anticipated after the Labor Day holiday.
However, a segment of the network's audience, particularly those identifying as liberal, has voiced growing dissatisfaction over the past year. This sentiment follows the appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of the news division by David Ellison, the new CEO of Paramount.
Media columnist Justin Baragona, writing for Zeteo, highlighted O'Donnell's direct engagement with these critics. She responded to comments left on an Instagram post from "CBS Mornings" that announced her impending return.
One Instagram user, Courtney Stevens, wrote, "I feel Norah is too good to stay with CBS. I wish some other news force had scooped her up. As long as Bari Weiss and the Ellisons are in charge bye bye." O'Donnell’s direct reply was, "This is so silly. Just watch our show!"
Another commenter urged, "NO!! Go to another network. I will never watch a minute of CBS programming after the Colbert/60 minutes fiasco. You deserve better than CBS!" O'Donnell responded, "Thanks for commenting. Give us a try."
A third individual expressed a similar sentiment: "This is tough but I can’t watch CBS anymore with Bari Weiss running things. Love Nora[h] tho."
To this, O'Donnell replied, "This makes no sense. Watch our show."
A spokesperson for the news organization declined to provide a comment on the matter.
Editorial Shifts and New Roles
Beyond her return to the morning broadcast, O'Donnell has also been named a new correspondent for the long-running investigative news program "60 Minutes." This appointment is part of a broader restructuring within the acclaimed magazine show.
The "60 Minutes" changes include the addition of several other correspondents and contributors, notably Ross Douthat, who transitioned from a prominent newspaper to this role. These new hires follow a period of significant personnel changes, including the departures of correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega, and Scott Pelley, as well as Anderson Cooper's exit earlier in the year.
O'Donnell previously held the anchor position for "CBS Evening News" from 2019 to 2025. After her departure, John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois co-anchored the evening broadcast for a year. Both Dickerson and DuBois subsequently left the network after Ms. Weiss appointed Tony Dokoupil to assume the main anchor role in January.
Leadership Vision and Corporate Landscape
Ms. Weiss herself has faced considerable criticism, particularly from commentators on the far left, who have accused her of holding views sympathetic to certain conservative political movements. This perception persists despite her public alignment with what she describes as old-school liberal politics. Both Weiss and CEO David Ellison have articulated a shared objective: to engage the significant segment of the population in the political center, rather than catering exclusively to ideological extremes.
In a major corporate development, Ellison's Paramount is reportedly nearing an agreement to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal valued at an estimated $111 billion. Should this acquisition proceed, it would place both the news organization and another major cable news network under a single corporate entity.
Staffers at the cable news network have expressed apprehension regarding the potential impact Ellison's leadership might have on their operations. Reports have suggested that Ms. Weiss could be assigned an oversight role across both newsrooms, although Ellison has publicly committed to preserving the cable network's editorial independence.
The proposed merger has encountered a delay due to an antitrust lawsuit initiated by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. A trial date has been scheduled for March 2027, though it remains uncertain whether a settlement might be reached before then, or if the acquiring company would be compelled to divest the cable news network as a condition of the merger.