Paramount has tasked former Trump nominee Kenneth Weinstein with addressing bias at CBS in the latest move to signal a more conservative direction for the storied news network.
Weinstein will serve as an ombudsman for CBS News, a role that Skydance committed to creating as it sought Federal Communications Commission approval of its merger with Paramount earlier this year.
The ombudsman is charged with fielding complaints of bias about the network’s news coverage and convening with Paramount and CBS executives to address them.
Weinstein’s ties to President Donald Trump, past leadership of a right-leaning think tank and limited news experience, however, have prompted questions on his qualifications and suitability for the role.
Weinstein was previously nominated as Trump’s ambassador to Japan during his first term and has led the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank focused on a range of issues, including national security and foreign policy. He also has a track record of criticizing the Biden administration and expressing staunch pro-Israel views, according to The New York Times. And he donated roughly $40,000 to pro-Trump and Republican political groups last year, the publication noted.
