The high-profile exit left people inside and outside the network eager to understand the backstory. So what happened? Multiple people familiar with the matter told Status that MacFarlane had grown disillusioned with the overall direction of the network under the anti-woke warrior Weiss, who since being appointed by David Ellison in October has sought to put the venerable news outlet on better footing with Donald Trump and his administration. Specifically, MacFarlane was appalled and disheartened by the way the “CBS Evening News” marked the five-year anniversary of the January 6 insurrection. At CBS News, MacFarlane had spent years aggressively covering the attack on the U.S. Capitol. In fact, as recently as Monday morning, as he prepared to make his career announcement, he posted a video on YouTube calling out MAGA forces trying to “rewrite the history” of that day by disseminating “lies.” So when MacFarlane saw anchor Tony Dokoupil mark the anniversary with only a 16-second report that embraced a both sides approach to the act of violence carried out by Trump supporters on that day, he was aghast. It’s not clear whether MacFarlane made his disapproval known to Dokoupil or network leadership, but he did communicate it to some colleagues, and it became known inside the network.
You can devastate a news organization The Jeff Bezos Way, by slashing the budget in half and forcing massive layoffs.
Or you can do it The Bari Weiss Way, by steadily eroding your journalism standards, week after week, so the talented people who can leave, do leave.
Via @oliverdarcy.bsky.social
28.02.2026 17:28 —
👍 5
🔁 2
💬 0
📌 0
