Media heiress Shari Redstone, the controlling actor at CBS News parent Paramount Global, reportedly grew angry with network executives for its left-leaning coverage of Israel and lobbied them to hire more conservative voices.
Redstone sent videos from other media outlets to top CBS executives as examples of what she thought was more balanced coverage of Israel’s battle against Hamas terrorists, according to current and former network executives cited by Wall Street Journal.
She was particularly upset with a “Face the Nation” broadcast last spring in which the show was critical of Israel after seven aid workers were killed in an attack in Gaza, the Journal reported.
Her reported anger comes after she called out CBS News president Wendy McMahon last week over her sanctioned dressing down of breakfast show host Tony Dokoupil for author Ta-Nehisi Coates for his strong criticism of Israel in his book his last.
Redstone — the 70-year-old daughter of the late media mogul Sumner Redstone — called Dokoupil to praise her for the difficult interview and had dinner with the anchor earlier this week, the Journal reported.
The Post has sought comment from Paramount and CBS.
In addition to the Dokoupil dust-up, the Tiffany Network has been involved in multiple firestorms that have raised questions about journalistic integrity at the former home of Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite.
Last week, the network was criticized for allegedly editing a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris that trimmed a “word salad” response to make it more coherent.
On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson blasted CBS News for cutting his Sunday interview on “Face the Nation,” accusing it of being part of a pattern to undermine conservatives.
Republicans were also upset with the CBS moderators, who sparred with Republican Sen. JD Vance during the vice presidential debate against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz earlier this month.
CBS News also recently instructed its staff not to refer to Jerusalem as part of Israel, according to a report in The Free Press.
Redstone — who sold her controlling stake in Paramount to Skydance Media in a deal expected to close next year — reportedly pushed for more conservative voices at the network to balance what she felt was a liberal trend.
She also directed former Paramount Global CEO Robert Bakish to voice her concerns to CBS President and CEO George Cheeks before Bakish’s ouster earlier this year, according to the Journal.
Cheeks — who was promoted as part of Paramount’s three-headed leadership following Bakish’s departure — issued a public vote of confidence in McMahon following the Dokoupil fiasco.
The Sept. 30 test interview prompted a staff meeting last Monday, during which the anchor was chastised by McMahon and other news division executives for displaying a pro-Israel bias.
Some CBS employees complained to higher-ups about Dokoupil and demanded that their concerns about him be addressed publicly, while others defended him for practicing sound journalism.
The CBS News anchor reportedly tried to quell the furor by bringing in a self-described “mental health expert, strategist and trauma trainer” — only to rescind the invitation after it was learned he posted racially insensitive images of Sen. Tim Scott (R- SC).
During an emotional meeting last Tuesday, Dokoupil told staff he was “sorry” for putting them in a difficult position, The Post exclusively reported.
Dokoupil, a convert to Judaism, is married to MSNBC anchor Katy Tur.
His ex-wife lives in Israel with their two children.
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