On March 20, 2026, CBS cut about 6 percent of its staff. That’s roughly 60 employees.
At the same time, the network shut down its radio division, which had been around for more than 100 years.
The reason? Leadership says they want to focus more on digital news.
CBS News set to lay off 15% of staffers as early as today as Bari Weiss looks to reshape newsroom https://t.co/ySr1Sd5x1F pic.twitter.com/wWm8t5wgVN
— New York Post (@nypost) March 20, 2026
This change comes under new leadership from Bari Weiss, who took over as editor-in-chief after Skydance Media gained control of Paramount in late 2025.
If that name sounds familiar, it might be because Weiss made national headlines in 2020 when she resigned from The New York Times.
In her resignation letter, she said the paper had become hostile to different viewpoints and no longer allowed open debate.
Now she’s in charge at CBS News. And she’s already making changes.
A Smaller Cut Than Expected
At first, rumors suggested layoffs could hit 15 percent of staff. That would have been a major shakeup.
Instead, the cuts came in at about 6 percent, but it’s still painful for the people who lost their jobs.
CBS is also shutting down its radio division entirely. That’s a big deal.
Falling Ratings Tell the Story
One of the biggest problems CBS is simply that fewer people are watching.
The CBS Evening News has been pulling in under 4 million viewers.
That may sound like a lot, but in the world of national TV news, it’s weak – especially when you consider how many Americans there are.
Viewership has been dropping across traditional media for years. But networks like CBS have also been dealing with something else.
A growing lack of trust.
A 2024 Gallup poll found that only about 32 percent of Americans say they trust the mass media. Among Republicans, that number is even lower.
When people stop trusting you, they stop watching you.
Why Conservatives Are Paying Attention
On X and other platforms, many conservative voices reacted to the news with cautious optimism.
Some pointed to the possibility of changes in tone and coverage. Others mentioned longtime CBS figures like Margaret Brennan, suggesting that a shift in leadership could lead to a shift in how stories are told.
There’s a clear feeling among many on the right that mainstream media has leaned too far in one direction for too long.
Weiss has said she wants more viewpoint diversity. That’s something conservatives have been pushing for for years.
In her past writing, she argued that newsrooms should allow a wider range of opinions instead of shutting them down.
If she brings that approach to CBS, it could mean a very different kind of news coverage.
What Critics Are Saying
Some critics worry that these changes could weaken traditional journalism.
Others argue that cutting staff while chasing digital growth could hurt the quality of reporting.
There are also concerns from media watchdog groups about whether “viewpoint diversity” could turn into opinion-driven news.
Supporters say the bigger problem has been one-sided reporting that pushed away half the country.
What It All Means
CBS News is changing because it has to.
Lower ratings. Less trust. More competition online.
Those pressures aren’t going away.
The question now is whether these changes will actually bring back viewers who have tuned out.
If Weiss follows through on her promise of more open debate and balanced coverage, CBS could start to win back some of that lost trust.
If not, it could just be another reshuffling inside a struggling industry.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology was used in the research, writing, and production of this article. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
