CBS News is considering layoffs for 2026, and the jobs of 15% of its workforce are now on the line. Based on insights from three sources familiar with the matter, a new report from Variety indicated that the company was gearing up for significant change across its operations. CBS News is a part of the freshly re-established Paramount Skydance unit, and the merged forces have been subjected to repeated cuts since last year as the organization attempted to find its footing in a new era of news, media, and entertainment.
The news of potential job cuts at CBS News hardly comes as a surprise, as the organization has already begun work on revitalizing the company’s vision and identity, offering voluntary buyout packages to employees at CBS Evening News last month. This tells us that while the organization is giving employees a choice in whether they stay or go, the business has its own plans for how many workers it would prefer to retain for the year that lies ahead.
New reports of layoffs at CBS News make an appearance, suggesting 15% of its staff could see cuts by March 2026. (Image: Freepik)
CBS News Layoffs Rumored for 2026: Cuts Are Expected in March
Details on the CBS News layoffs are currently limited, as it appears the organization is still working out the specifics of its 2026 game plan. The Variety report was able to glean that no fixed timelines and numbers have been set just yet, but once the decision on where to make the cuts is finalized, the CBS news staff cuts could start as early as March and as late as May. For now, the CBS layoffs have been linked to Bari Weiss, Editor-in-Chief of the news portal, and her revitalization strategy for the organization’s long-term success.
In a staff address in January, she was heard telling workers, “we’re toast” if they continued with their current strategy to “cling to the audience that remains on broadcast television.” Not only is Weiss looking to expand the news portal in terms of formats and target audiences, but she is also in pursuit of a “transformation” of the workforce, although the implications of this shift are currently unclear.
She also announced the hiring of 18 new contributors to CBS News, who are expected to “surprise and provoke” the audience and those in the newsroom in equal measure. From the evident hiring of contributors who are unusual names in the journalism industry, it does appear that the CBS News layoffs for 2026 aren’t just a budget-cut strategy, but one intended to shift the brand identity and market positioning by a few degrees.
How Is CBS News’ Buyouts for Staff Panning Out?
At the end of January, CBS News announced voluntary buyouts for non-union CBS Evening News staff who wanted to head a different direction from the one laid out by Weiss, and there have been many takers. Reportedly, 11 members of a production staff of about 40 workers have agreed to accept the buyout deal and take their careers and expertise elsewhere. This included a list of both veteran producers and young members of the news staff, some of whom made their exit due to ideological differences and expectations with the current direction of the organization.
Producer Alicia Hastey is among those making an exit, and in a farewell letter to her CBS News colleagues, she made her feelings on the current climate of the organization and the pressures that producers now face known to everyone. While she added that she was certain that those who remain at CBS Evening News will continue to create “thoughtful and important work, even under difficult circumstances,” her letter highlights the tumultuous experience of workers at the organization and their reaction to the change in leadership.
The Layoffs Are Now a Standard Part of Paramount Skydance Operations
The job cuts at CBS News are unsurprising as the parent business’ reorganization efforts were a significant focal point in 2025. The cuts began much before the merger was fully formalized, and the post-merger layoffs continued in an attempt to reposition the business and its many divisions for long-term success. Voluntary buyouts were also utilized by Paramount Skydance last year in an attempt to downsize its ranks and allow employees who were unsatisfied with the company’s RTO mandates to make an exit.
The rumored CBS News layoffs for 2026 follow a well-trodden path at the overall business, however, it is important to address the potential conflicts that are mounting at the organization. While buyouts offer employees who are unsatisfied with the new direction and practices of the organization to make a clean exit, it is also likely that many who disagree with the changes will continue to remain at the organization for the sake of their careers. This leaves the organization with an unnatural tense workforce where conflicts and disagreements are bound to arise.
With the Rumored CBS News Staff Reductions, the Importance of Internal Unity Makes Itself Apparent
Change management is often an underutilized consideration for businesses that are making significant edits to their principles and operations, as the attention is typically centered around feasibility rather than internal impact. Bringing employees on board with the new direction and strategy often comes as an afterthought rather than a central component in the planning, making the shift much harder than it needs to be.
From face-to-face conversations with workers to feedback acquisition and implementation, it is important to ensure that employees feel seen and heard when big business decisions are underway, regardless of whether layoffs are a part of the strategy. Leaving dissatisfied employees to stew in their displeasure only causes problems to escalate, but a careful attempt to find middle ground can undo some of the tension at work. With CBS News, the fate of its readership and reputation now hangs in the balance.
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