CBS News’ new ombudsman has background and duties that differ from the job’s traditional definition

NEW YORK (AP) — CBS News has a new ombudsman assigned to look into public complaints, but the job being assumed by Kenneth Weinstein bears little resemblance to how this watchdog role has traditionally operated in journalism.

Weinstein, appointed Monday by CBS’ parent company Paramount, has little background in journalism and his duties include no public role. He’s the former head of a conservative think tank and has made several donations to Republican causes, including President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.

The company agreed to hire a person to investigate complaints about political bias this summer, days before the Federal Communications Commission approved the merger of Paramount with Skydance Corp.

“I am honored to serve as ombudsman for CBS News, one of the most respected journalistic institutions in the world,” Weinstein said in a statement. “I look forward to supporting the talented team behind its reporting and to stewarding public trust in this critical institution.”

He’s assigned to review complaints from consumers and employees and, if he determines action is required, raise it with Paramount president Jeff Shell and George Cheeks, the company’s head of TV Media. Only then will they bring it to the CBS News president.

Fewer news organizations have been employing ombudsmen

In news organizations that employ ombudsmen — and the number who do has been shrinking — the job effectively reports to the public, said Kelly McBride, expert in media ethics at the Poynter Institute and NPR’s public editor. But Paramount said it does not envision Weinstein having any public-facing role.

Weinstein was president of the Washington-based Hudson Institute, which concentrates on foreign policy and national security issues. Described in his bio as a “political theorist by training,” he was appointed to the Broadcasting Board of Governors by President Barack Obama in 2013 and elected chairman of that group in 2017, succeeding Shell.

That organization, now known as the U.S. Agency for Global Media, oversees government-run media outlets like Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which are essentially being dismantled by Trump.

Weinstein was nominated by Trump to be ambassador to Japan in 2020, but the Senate did not act on the appointment.

He has donated to several Republican causes and candidates, including Nikki Haley, Marco Rubio, John McCain and Mitt Romney, according to the Federal Elections Commission. Last year, he donated $6,600 to Trump, $5,000 to the Trump-aligned Save America PAC and $10,900 to the Republican National Committee.

Skydance leader David Ellison and his team are being watched to see whether they establish a track record of bowing to Trump. Shortly before the merger was approved, Paramount agreed to pay the president $16 million to settle his complaints that a “60 Minutes” interview of election opponent Kamala Harris last fall was biased against him.

Last week, following complaints by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about editing of her “Face the Nation” interview, CBS said it would no longer permit editing of its interviews prior to broadcast. Critics said they feared this would lead to the spread of disinformation.

With his credentials, Weinstein seems “perfectly capable of doing the job” of ombudsman, McBride said.

“The question is, ‘What is the job?’” she said.

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AP investigative researcher Randy Herschaft contributed to this report. David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.