John Dickerson will leave CBS News at the end of the year, a move that will inevitably raise questions about the future direction of CBS Evening News, which he co-anchored with Maurice Dubois as part of a format overhaul earlier this year.
“I am extremely grateful for everything CBS has given me – the work, the audience attention, and the honor of being part of the network’s history. I am also grateful for my dear colleagues who have made me a better journalist and a better person,” the anchor said in a social media post on Monday. “i will miss you.”
Dickerson also anchors the streaming-only half-hour following “Evening News,” and has moved throughout the CBS News portfolio over the years. Recognized not only for his political insight but also for his writing and commentary skills, he was successful as the host of “Face the Nation” and was transferred to “CBS This Morning.” He also appears as a political analyst and a contributor to “60 Minutes.” His mother, Nancy Dickerson, was CBS News’ first female correspondent.
CBS News President Tom Sibrowski said in a statement that Dickerson has “decided” to leave his reporting role at Paramount Skydance. At the same time, it’s no secret that ratings for the Evening News have suffered since CBS News executives placed less emphasis on breaking headlines. Dickerson and Dubois made for an unconventional pairing, with the latter having a smoother development and the former having a more dynamic on-screen presence. CBS News has contacted talent agencies in recent weeks to discuss potential new clients, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Mr. Dickerson’s plans to leave come as CBS News undergoes a transformation under the leadership of new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. A digital entrepreneur who started the conservative Free Press, which was recently acquired by Paramount Skydance for $150 million, he came to the news division with a mission to transform its operations. Claudia Milne, the head of standards at CBS News, recently opted to leave the company when her contract expired, but there are signs that others may want to do the same, worried about working in a news department whose top editorial executives already have positions secured on many of the important issues of the day.
CBS News also faces job cuts under Paramount Skydance, which has pledged to cut costs at the media conglomerate since the Ellison family acquired the company from former controlling shareholder Shari Redstone.
Dickerson worked at Slate & Time before joining CBS News in 2011 as political director. He is the author of three books, a contributor to The Atlantic, and a podcaster at Slate, where “Political Gabfest” has been running for 20 years.
