What To Know
- CBS News boss Bari Weiss recently met with BBC journalist Justin Webb, signaling interest in recruiting more “free thinkers” from the U.K.
- This follows Weiss’s high-profile hire of British anchor Trevor Phillips as senior global affairs correspondent.
- The CBS-BBC partnership has raised concerns among some BBC staff about maintaining editorial impartiality.
CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss has reportedly been on another recruiting mission overseas, meeting with longtime BBC journalist and radio host Justin Webb. Now 60 Minutes fans are wondering if he could be headed to the show.
According to Deadline, Weiss recently had lunch with Webb, a vastly-experienced British TV reporter and news anchor who currently hosts BBC Radio 4’s Today show and the Americast podcast. The outlet notes that Weiss didn’t make a formal job offer, but sources claim she is keenly interested in the U.K. market and journalists she considers “free thinkers.”
This comes a week after Weiss hired British writer and anchor Trevor Phillips as the new senior global affairs correspondent at CBS News. Phillips, a former politician who hosted the Sunday Morning show on Sky News, is a known free-speech advocate; however, he’s also been at the center of controversy for comments he’s made about British Muslims.
“Trevor Phillips cuts through the noise. His decades-long career is a masterclass in seeing beyond groupthink and pursuing the truth,” Weiss said in a statement, per Variety. “Trevor’s deep knowledge of geopolitics and history will be an incredible asset at CBS News, where he’ll quickly become an indispensable voice for audiences across all platforms.”
Phillips’ hiring comes after a string of firings across CBS News, including the ousting of London bureau chief Claire Day. Last month, Weiss fired 60 Minutes producers Tanya Simon and Draggan Mihailovich, as well as correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi. Veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley was also fired after airing his grievances during a staff meeting.
“Trevor may be the first of several UK hires,” one source told Deadline, while a second added, “Trevor Phillips fits right into [Weiss’] vision.”
As for Webb, he currently works for the BBC and has to abide by the broadcaster’s strict impartiality rules. That hasn’t stopped editorial complaints against him, though, including backlash to comments made on air in 2023 when he said, “trans women, in other words, males.”
The BBC’s impartiality has been a subject of discussion, given its partnership with CBS News. Some believe that Weiss’ edict conflicts with the BBC’s guidelines. One BBC journalist told the outlet there was “nervousness” about the partnership, while others were less concerned.
A former BBC News executive added, “The political views of the head of a network are not as relevant as the actual delivery. So the BBC needs to be vigilant about impartiality and objectivity in any of its partners.”
“BBC News is editorially independent and everything we broadcast must accord with our own publicly available editorial standards; this partnership, one of many we have around the world with other broadcasters, is about sharing news content, including video footage,” a BBC spokesperson said in a statement.