CBS News and Stations introduces new editorial leadership team
CBS News and Stations is introducing a new editorial leadership structure, with Adrienne Roark and Jennifer Mitchell taking on expanded roles across the local-to-global news organization. Several other veteran CBS News and Stations leaders are also taking on key roles and additional responsibilities, joining the current senior editorial leadership team.
"Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter as we write the future of CBS News and Stations. Our journalists and team members across the division are working together more collaboratively and efficiently to drive impact across all of our shows and streams," said Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures. "I have great confidence in the team we are assembling, beginning with Adrienne and Jennifer, who are terrific partners and inspirational, aspirational and empathetic leaders. This structure is designed to support and build our next-generation news organization. By working with our talented teams in every newsroom, each of these leaders will enhance our coverage and better position us for the future."
Adrienne Roark will become President of Editorial and Newsgathering for CBS News and Stations, leading the unified organization's teams in the field and across newsrooms to drive daily news coverage. In this role, she will oversee correspondents, assignment desks, bureaus, booking teams, standards and practices, the Super Desk central newsgathering and storytelling platform, and CBS News Radio. In addition, she will continue to lead the CBS Local News Innovation Lab in Dallas-Fort Worth, the Centers of Excellence she has built around data journalism, weather, and specialized beats/units, and WCBS and WLNY in New York, as well as WBZ and WSBK in Boston.
Roark will assume responsibilities that had been held by Ingrid Ciprián-Matthews, who last week transitioned from serving as president of CBS News into a new role as a senior editorial adviser for political coverage through the November election.
Jennifer Mitchell, who will become President of Stations and Digital for CBS News and Stations, will assume primary responsibility for CBS Stations as well as the division's local and national digital properties. She will oversee 23 of the 27 CBS-owned stations, expanding her portfolio to now include seven stations in the East that had been led by Roark.
In addition to providing leadership to CBS' large-market stations along the East Coast over the past three years, Roark has led newsrooms in the biggest markets across the country over the course of her career. She has spearheaded several of CBS News and Stations' recent cross-divisional initiatives, including Eye on America and a national community journalism movement. She has also provided leadership and support for breaking news coverage of major stories such as the assassination attempt on former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.
Mitchell has led innovation across CBS News and Stations' newsrooms and digital platforms, playing a key role in conceptualizing and bringing to life CBS NEWS 24/7, the flagship show for CBS News' national stream of the same name. She has played a vital role in growing CBS Stations' local streams as they have skyrocketed from fourth to first, collectively, against their same-market competition.
Roark and Mitchell will continue to report to McMahon and share responsibility for overseeing the content for the division's local and national streaming channels. McMahon will oversee all CBS News network broadcasts, working directly with the executive producers of those shows to continue to maximize the organization's brands and editorial capabilities across all screens and platforms.
"Together, we will continue to build and stay laser-focused on our content, communities and culture," Mitchell said in an email to staff. "There has been a lot of change at an unprecedented speed; however, our industry is rapidly evolving, and we must meet its pace. What remains is our steadfast commitment to overall excellence." Mitchell, who has more than 20 years experience as a multi-platform newsroom leader, joined the network as president of CBS Stations in 2021.
Roark said, "My commitment to you is to uphold the legacy of CBS News and Stations and continue working together as one, while building a next-generation organization for the future." Roark began her career at CBS, and after managing newsrooms in major markets, returned in 2021 as president of CBS Stations and was named president of Content Development and Integration for CBS News, Stations and Media Ventures in 2023.
As part of today's announcement, McMahon also announced that Alvin Patrick will assume a new role. In addition to continuing to serve as executive producer of the CBS News Race and Culture Unit, Patrick's responsibility for overseeing original long-form programming for CBS News digital and streaming properties, including CBS News 24/7 and Paramount+, will expand to include specials and documentaries for platforms across CBS News, Stations and Media Ventures. He is the founding executive producer of the Race and Culture Unit, which was created in 2020. He will report to McMahon.
Roark announced that day-to-day editorial newsgathering across CBS News and Stations will be led by longtime CBS News executive Terri Stewart, who assumes expanded responsibilities as senior vice president of newsgathering, and Wendy Fisher, who has been named senior vice president of editorial. Stewart will continue to guide the network's news gathering efforts, in addition to running the news hubs to support the new community journalism coverage. She will also focus on the development of a CBS News and Stations coverage desk. Fisher will focus on driving strategic, comprehensive coverage across the group, working closely with the Washington, foreign, and domestic bureaus. She will continue to oversee weather coverage for CBS News and Stations. Both will report to Roark.
In addition, David Reiter will take on an expanded role as senior vice president, CBS News 24/7 Special Events and Special Projects. He will continue to oversee all special events and projects for CBS News, including breaking news and coverage of special events such as Election Night, and will also lead the division's streaming initiatives, including the development of expanded content offerings. Reiter will oversee the special events and streaming team in New York, reporting in to Roark.
"Our journalism is resonating and making an impact in a fast-churning news cycle that shows no signs of slowing down," McMahon said in an email to the staff. "As I've said before, the combination of our people and resources is a force multiplier. This structure and this group of people, working in tandem with every journalist, colleague, and newsroom, will enhance our work as we create the next chapters for CBS News and Stations."