CBS News and Stations is introducing a new editorial leadership structure, and this puts two female executives in expanded roles across the organization.
Additionally, several longtime CBS News and Stations executives will assume key roles and additional responsibilities by joining the current team that oversees daily editorial and newsgathering across all platforms.
But, the biggest news from the Paramount Global broadcast TV arm and CBS News divisions of the company is that Adrienne Roark and Jennifer Mitchell will be taking on duties formerly held by Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, who now serve as a senior editorial adviser for CBS News, tasked with helping lead political coverage through the November election.
“Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter as we write the future of CBS News and Stations,” said Wendy McMahon, President/CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures. “Our journalists and team members across the division are working together more collaboratively and efficiently to drive impact across all of our shows and streams.”
McMahon continued, “I have great confidence in the team we are assembling, beginning with Adrienne and Jennifer, who are terrific partners and inspirational, aspirational and empathetic leaders. This structure is designed to support and build our next-generation news organization. By working with our talented teams in every newsroom, each of these leaders will enhance our coverage and better position us for the future.”
Specifically, Roark is being named President of Editorial and Newsgathering for CBS News and Stations. She will lead the organization’s teams in the field and across newsrooms to drive the daily Network News content engine, including correspondents, assignment desks, bureaus, booking teams, standards and practices, the Super Desk central newsgathering and storytelling platform, and CBS News Radio.
In addition, she will continue to lead the CBS Local News Innovation Lab in Dallas-Fort Worth, the Centers of Excellence she has built around data journalism, weather and specialized beats/units, and WCBS-2/WLNY-55 in New York, as well as WBZ-4/WSBK-38 in Boston.
Concurrently, Mitchell will become president of Stations and Digital for CBS News and Stations and assume primary responsibility for CBS Stations, as well as the division’s local and national digital properties. She will oversee 23 of the 27 CBS-owned stations, expanding her portfolio to now include seven stations in the East that had been led by Roark (KYW-3/WPSG-57 in Philadelphia; KDKA-TV and WPKD-TV in Pittsburgh; WFOR-4 and WBFS-33 in Miami; and WJZ-13 in Baltimore).
Mitchell has led innovation across CBS News and Stations’ newsrooms and digital platforms. She most recently played a key role in conceptualizing and bringing to life CBS NEWS 24/7, the flagship show for CBS News’ national stream of the same name.
Roark and Mitchell will continue to report to McMahon and share responsibility for overseeing the content for the division’s local and national streaming channels.
McMahon will oversee all CBS News network broadcasts, working directly with the executive producers of those shows to continue to maximize the organization’s brands and editorial capabilities across all screens and platforms.
PATRICK ADDS ADDITIONAL DUTIES
As part of today’s announcement, McMahon announced that Alvin Patrick will assume a new role. In addition to continuing to serve as executive producer of the CBS News Race and Culture Unit, Patrick will expand his oversight of original long-form programming for CBS News digital and streaming properties, including CBS News 24/7 and Paramount+, to include specials and documentaries for platforms across CBS News, Stations and Media Ventures. He is the founding executive producer of the Race and Culture Unit, which was created in 2020. He will report to McMahon.
Additionally, day-to-day editorial newsgathering across CBS News and Stations will be led by longtime CBS News executive Terri Stewart, who assumes expanded responsibilities as senior vice president of newsgathering, and Wendy Fisher, who has been named senior vice president of editorial.
Stewart will continue to guide the Network’s news gathering efforts, in addition to running the news hubs to support the new community journalism coverage. She will also focus on the development of a CBS News and Stations coverage desk. Fisher will focus on driving strategic, comprehensive coverage across the group, working closely with the Washington, foreign and domestic bureaus. She will continue to oversee weather coverage for CBS News and Stations. Both will report to Roark.
In an expanded role as senior vice president of CBS News 24/7, special events and special projects, David Reiter will continue to oversee all special events and projects for CBS News. This includes breaking news and coverage of special events such as Election Night. In addition to his responsibilities for special coverage on television, he will lead the division’s streaming initiatives, including the development of expanded content offerings. Reiter will oversee the special events and streaming team, reporting into Roark.
