CBS News raised eyebrows this week by naming Ken Weinstein, former president of the conservative-leaning Hudson Institute, as its new ombudsman. The position is meant to address editorial concerns, investigate complaints of bias, and report directly to Paramount's leadership rather than CBS News management.
Other mainstream media outlets like the New York Times are not too happy about the change:
On the surface, this seems a welcome development. For decades, CBS has been a flagship for left-leaning journalism, the network of Dan Rather and the forged National Guard documents, one of the most infamous media debacles of the last half-century. The hope that CBS might be serious about self-examination is no small thing.
Still, this is no time for conservatives - or anyone who cares about journalistic integrity - to declare victory. The bias inside CBS is not a surface problem. It is systemic, cultural, and deeply entrenched. For years, CBS and its peers have functioned less like neutral reporters of truth and more like progressive advocacy machines.
Take last month's horrific murder of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska. Her slaughter on a North Carolina train by a 14-time offender was a story about immigration, crime, public safety, and systemic failure - all the issues the press claims to care about, yet somehow ignored. No wall-to-wall coverage. No outrage. No primetime specials. No sympathy pieces. The networks collectively buried it because the story didn't fit a preconceived narrative.
That is dereliction of duty. Journalism is supposed to tell the truth, even when it's inconvenient, even when it challenges preferred political stories. When CBS and other networks choose instead to curate reality, to shield viewers from facts that might complicate progressive talking points, they are not merely biased. They are actively eroding public trust and threatening the civic health of the nation.
So, is Weinstein's appointment a turning point? Or is it a toothless gesture meant to pacify critics without changing the culture? Will he have the power to confront editorial groupthink, or will CBS quietly sideline him when the first real controversy arrives?
Time will tell. If CBS is serious, this could be the beginning of something important - a network reclaiming its integrity, restoring trust, and serving the public good. But if this is just an optics play, conservatives and media critics should not be fooled. Our society cannot afford a press corps that cheerleads one side while blacking out stories that don't serve the preferred narrative.
The stakes are too high. The free press is essential to a free people. CBS has taken a first step.
Whether it leads to real accountability or proves to be another empty PR stunt remains to be seen.
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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Not the Bee or any of its affiliates.
