Susan Zirinsky Returns to CBS News in Interim Executive Editor Role

variety.com:

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Susan Zirinsky is once again being asked to help polish up CBS News. The veteran producer, who served as the unit’s president from early 2019 to the end of 2021, has been asked to return to CBS News as an interim “executive editor,” and will oversee standards, helping to vet stories and journalistic practices.

Like many other news operations, CBS News has long had personnel who monitored internal practices and ethics. But there seems to be a desire to make such efforts more a part of the senior suite after controversies surfaced last year at the Paramount Global operation tied to incidents at “60 Minutes” and “CBS Mornings.” “In today’s fast-moving news environment, it is critical for newsrooms to quickly and effectively deliver balanced, accurate, fair and timely reporting, including highly complex, sensitive issues like the war in the Middle East,” said George Cheeks, co-CEO of Paramount Global, in a memo sent to CBS News staffers Monday night. “CBS News takes this responsibility seriously.

While there is no way to cover such sensitive issues without provoking some degree of criticism, we have a responsibility to address those concerns.

This includes feedback regarding perceived bias in some CBS News coverage. We cannot let this negatively affect our legacy or our future, our mission or our connection to our viewers.” Zirinsky will fill the role while Wendy McMahon, the Paramount Global executive who oversees CBS News, searches for person to fill the role permanently.