Paramount Hires Former Trump Adviser as News Ombudsman
Paramount Global has appointed Kenneth Weinstein, a former CEO of the conservative policy think tank the Hudson Institute, to serve as the ombudsman for CBS News, it said in a release Monday. The Center for American Rights and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr praised the hiring, but academics told us Paramount’s creation of the ombudsman position under government pressure raises concerns about Weinstein’s independence. CBS News was recently targeted by the Department of Homeland Security over an interview with Secretary Kristi Noem and announced changes to its interview process last week.
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The news ombudsman will serve as an “independent, internal advocate for journalistic integrity,” Paramount said. News ombudsmen traditionally examine issues “through the lens of journalistic codes of ethics,” and a traditional ombudsman wouldn’t have raised ethical concerns about the interview that led to the FCC’s news distortion proceeding against CBS, said Lucy Dalglish, dean emerita of the University of Maryland’s journalism program. Ombudsmen are generally former journalists, she added.
“I am honored to serve as Ombudsman for CBS News, one of the most respected journalistic institutions in the world,” Weinstein said in Paramount’s release. “I look forward to supporting the talented team behind its reporting and to stewarding public trust in this critical institution.” Paramount President Jeff Shell said Weinstein “brings not only a wealth of advisory experience in media and beyond but also a calm, measured perspective that makes him exceptionally well-suited to serve as our Ombudsman.”
Weinstein served as the Hudson Institute’s CEO from 2005 to 2020 and is currently its Japan chair. The institute bills itself as a research organization that advises policymakers, and its website features a laudatory blurb from Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. Weinstein was a member of federal advisory boards under Democratic and Republican presidents and was nominated by Trump to be ambassador to Japan. He also served on the board of the agency now called the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Though Weinstein’s social media accounts appear to have been deleted, the New York Times found a 2024 post where he criticized CBS News.
Sharing a screenshot of the NYT article about the hiring, Carr said on X that “the New York Times is very upset that CBS selected a former advisor to President Trump & Trump nominee as an ombudsman as part of its new commitment to fair, fact-based reporting. But diversity of viewpoints is a good thing!” Carr has said the FCC will be monitoring the ombudsman’s conduct and Paramount’s treatment of complaints about coverage, and the agency has an open news distortion complaint against Paramount. The FCC will take a “trust but verify” approach to Paramount’s fulfillment of promises to the agency and could go after the company if it doesn’t adequately follow through, he said last month. “When you make a filing at the FCC, we have rules and regulations that deal with false representations,” Carr said in an August news conference.
Paramount’s promise to the FCC to hire an ombudsman has been fulfilled, said Freedom of the Press Foundation Advocacy Director Seth Stern. “Carr and the government should be out of the picture. Any further monitoring beyond that goes beyond anything that was publicly promised and points to a deal that allows the government a seat at the editorial desk that it should not have.”
Dalglish said she isn’t familiar with Weinstein but hopes he will familiarize himself with the ethics of journalism. "Every time a reporter does something, there's editorial judgment used," she said, so traditionally, an ombudsman wouldn't have found problems with the editing of the Noem interview or CBS' segment last fall with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Dalglish said that “all eyes” will be on Weinstein and Paramount to determine if the arrangement affects CBS’ reporting. “If I were at CBS, I'd be sick to my stomach,” she said. “We're going to have to look at who raises the issues this guy is going to address. We're going to have to look at whether or not he always gives the Trump administration a pass.”
Paramount said it has newly established an ombudsman process that Weinstein will follow. “Complaints from consumers, employees, and others will be directed to Weinstein, who will review each and, if he determines such complaint requires further action, will raise it to Paramount President Jeff Shell and Chair of TV Media George Cheeks,” the company said. “After assessing the complaint, and if they collectively determine that such outreach is necessary, Weinstein, Shell, and Cheeks will address the complaint with the President and Executive Editor of CBS News, Tom Cibrowski, who will recommend and implement any necessary action steps.”
Center for American Rights President Daniel Suhr told us he's “encouraged” by Weinstein's selection. Suhr wrote the complaint letter that led to the news distortion proceeding against CBS and called for Paramount to quickly hire an ombudsman in the wake of the flap with DHS.
“Tackling bias across CBS is going to be a big project. I hope that Mr. Weinstein not only responds to consumer concerns but takes a proactive approach to advocate for higher news standards across the enterprise,” Suhr said. “Having a meaningful customer complaint box is a good start, but ideally he'll be a real leader to push for 'fair, unbiased, and fact-based reporting' (to quote the FCC order).” Weinstein should seek a venue to lay out his vision of the ombudsman role, Suhr said. “We appreciate the commitments CBS has made, we're glad to see Mr. Weinstein come on board, and we'll continue to be vigilant for viewers to protect the public interest.”