Dan Rather calls CBS News changes a disaster; a network insider disputes his criticism

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets, mostly left-leaning (67%).

3 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Former CBS News anchor Dan Rather told Variety that CBS News has been “in many ways a disaster” since Skydance acquired it in its 2025 merger with Paramount Global and David Ellison chose Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief. Rather said the changes reflect “big billionaire corporate power in bed with powerful people and the presidency,” and that Trump has “gotten his way” after expressing dislike for 60 Minutes. A network insider told Fox News that Rather’s criticism does not reflect reality. Rather stepped down as CBS Evening News anchor in 2005 after a report about George W. Bush relied on documents that were later disputed.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

New to Mantle? It shows who is covering each story across the political spectrum, and highlights loaded words. How to read a storyHide the guide

The coverage spectrum counts the outlets covering a story at each of five points. A short or missing segment means that part of the spectrum is mostly quiet.

Governor Loaded verb“slams”It adds drama to what was said. The governor criticized the lawmakers; “slams” makes it sound like a fight.More neutral: criticizes lawmakers over budget delay

Highlights mark words that carry a judgement. Tap one to see why, and what a neutral writer would say. Here it is “criticizes”.

The 5-point spectrum

Far Left
Voices that strongly advocate for progressive policies and systemic change.
Left
Mainstream liberal perspectives focusing on social equality and regulation.
Center
Sources that prioritize neutral reporting and balanced viewpoints.
Right
Mainstream conservative perspectives focusing on market freedom and tradition.
Far Right
Voices that strongly advocate for conservative values and limited government.

How we measure bias

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

Rather told Variety that CBS News has been “in many ways a disaster” since Skydance acquired it in 2025.
Reported byFar Left1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Far Left
HuffPost
Far Right
Fox News
Skydance CEO David Ellison chose Bari Weiss as CBS News editor-in-chief.
One outletHuffPost· Far Left
Rather said the changes reflect “big billionaire corporate power in bed with powerful people and the presidency.”
Reported byFar Left1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Far Left
HuffPost
Far Right
Fox News
Rather said Trump has “gotten his way” at CBS News after expressing dislike for 60 Minutes.
Reported byFar Left1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Far Left
HuffPost
Far Right
Fox News
A network insider told Fox News that Rather’s criticism does not reflect reality.
One outletFox News· Far Right
Rather stepped down as CBS Evening News anchor in 2005 after a report about George W. Bush relied on documents that were later disputed.
Reported byFar Left1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Far Left
The Daily Beast
Far Right
Fox News

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

CBS News under new leadership is a disaster shaped by Trump and billionaire power.
Rather, quoted by the left-side outlets and by Fox News, says so; a network insider quoted by Fox News says the criticism does not reflect reality.
Rather’s 2005 exit from CBS Evening News followed a discredited story.
The Daily Beast says the documents were never proved to be forgeries; Fox News describes the story as discredited.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three outlets report Dan Rather calling CBS News under Bari Weiss a disaster and tying the changes to Trump and billionaire power. The left-side outlets carry Rather’s words as the main story, while Fox News leads with a network insider saying the criticism does not reflect reality.

the left
2 outlets
Headlines center Rather’s sharp attacks on CBS and Trump, with the Far Left outlet using stronger words such as eviscerates and destruction than the mainstream HuffPost headline.
CBS Legend, 94, Loaded verb“Eviscerates”The verb describes a far harsher attack than the reported criticism in the article body.More neutral: criticizesDisagree with this highlight? Trump’s ‘60 Minutes’ Sensational language“Destruction”The word presents the changes at 60 Minutes as a settled outcome of destruction in the outlet’s own voice.More neutral: changesDisagree with this highlight?
The Daily BeastFar LeftAll left-leaning headlines
the center
No coverage yet
No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
the right
1 outlet
Fox News frames the story around a network insider rejecting Rather’s criticism, presenting his words as doubtful rather than as the lead.
Dan Rather's Sensational language“withering”The adjective adds the outlet’s own judgement of the severity of Rather’s criticism.More neutral: criticismDisagree with this highlight? criticism of CBS 'doesn't reflect reality,' network insider says
Fox NewsFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

Left4
EvisceratesDestructionbrutalTrump-friendly
Center
Has not covered this story.
Right5
fired back sharplyblastedlightning rodliberal media watchdogs

In the outlets’ own words

Loaded verb
EvisceratesMore neutral: criticizes
The verb describes a far harsher attack than the reported criticism in the article body.
CBS Legend, 94, Eviscerates Trump’s ‘60 Minutes’ Destruction
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Sensational language
DestructionMore neutral: changes
The word presents the changes at 60 Minutes as a settled outcome of destruction in the outlet’s own voice.
CBS Legend, 94, Eviscerates Trump’s ‘60 Minutes’ Destruction
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Sensational language
brutalMore neutral: critical
The adjective adds the outlet’s own judgement of the tone of Rather’s assessment.
The 94-year-old former news anchor delivered a brutal assessment of how the network is looking under Bari Weiss.
Used byHuffPost (Far Left)
Loaded modifier
Trump-friendlyMore neutral: David Ellison, the Skydance CEO
The label characterizes David Ellison’s political leanings in the outlet’s own voice without a cited source.
…News, his former longtime network, after its parent company was taken over by a Trump-friendly boss.
Used byHuffPost (Far Left)

Show 5 more phrasesShow fewer

Loaded verb
fired back sharplyMore neutral: responded
The phrase characterizes the insider’s reply with added drama in the outlet’s own voice.
Dan Rather called the changes at CBS News "a disaster," but a network insider fired back sharply, saying his criticism doesn't reflect reality.
Used byFox News (Far Right)
Loaded verb
blastedMore neutral: criticized
The verb describes the criticism with more force than the quoted words convey.
Former CBS News anchor Dan Rather blasted his former employer that's now under the leadership of lightning rod editor-in-chief…
Used byFox News (Far Right)
Loaded modifier
lightning rodMore neutral: editor-in-chief Bari Weiss
The label pre-judges Bari Weiss as controversial in the outlet’s own voice.
…anchor Dan Rather blasted his former employer that's now under the leadership of lightning rod editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, raising the eyebrows of a network insider who doesn’t…
Used byFox News (Far Right)
Loaded modifier
liberal media watchdogsMore neutral: media watchdogs who have spoken out against Weiss
The label assigns a political identity to the groups in the outlet’s own voice.
Bush, joined a variety of liberal media watchdogs who have spoken out against Weiss over the past year.
Used byFox News (Far Right)
Sensational language
witheringMore neutral: criticism
The adjective adds the outlet’s own judgement of the severity of Rather’s criticism.
Dan Rather's withering criticism of CBS 'doesn't reflect reality,' network insider says
Used byFox News (Far Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

2 outlets

Leads with

Rather’s harsh criticism of CBS
Trump’s role in the changes
Rather’s own record at CBS

Leaves out

the insider’s rebuttal that the criticism does not reflect reality

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

HuffPostFar Left
Dan Rather Spent Much Of His Iconic Career At CBS News — Now, He Says, It's A 'Disaster'
The 94-year-old former news anchor delivered a Sensational language“brutal”The adjective adds the outlet’s own judgement of the tone of Rather’s assessment.More neutral: criticalDisagree with this highlight? assessment of how the network is looking under Bari Weiss.
5 hr agoRead at HuffPost (opens in a new tab)
The Daily BeastFar Left
CBS Legend, 94, Loaded verb“Eviscerates”The verb describes a far harsher attack than the reported criticism in the article body.More neutral: criticizesDisagree with this highlight? Trump’s ‘60 Minutes’ Sensational language“Destruction”The word presents the changes at 60 Minutes as a settled outcome of destruction in the outlet’s own voice.More neutral: changesDisagree with this highlight?
Legendary CBS anchor Dan Rather has torn into President Donald Trump, 80, for reducing CBS News to “wreckage.” Rather, 94, was a 60 Minutes correspondent from 1975 to 1981, when he took over CBS Evening News . …
6 hr agoRead at The Daily Beast (opens in a new tab)

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

Network insider’s rebuttal
Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief
Rather’s 2005 departure over a discredited story

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines

Fox NewsFar Right
Dan Rather's Sensational language“withering”The adjective adds the outlet’s own judgement of the severity of Rather’s criticism.More neutral: criticismDisagree with this highlight? criticism of CBS 'doesn't reflect reality,' network insider says
Dan Rather called the changes at CBS News "a disaster," but a network insider Loaded verb“fired back sharply”The phrase characterizes the insider’s reply with added drama in the outlet’s own voice.More neutral: respondedDisagree with this highlight?, saying his criticism doesn't reflect reality.
3 hr agoRead at Fox News (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

Left
First to report
The Daily Beast, Oct 26, 1:18 PM EDT
Center
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
Right
3 hr 35 min later
Its first report, Oct 26, 4:53 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order

The Daily BeastFar LeftOct 26, 1:18 PM EDT
HuffPostFar LeftOct 26, 2:58 PM EDT
Fox NewsFar RightOct 26, 4:53 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Dan Rather calls CBS News changes a disaster; a network insider disputes his criticism

Coverage spectrum

Key points

Where accounts differ

Compare views

the left

the center

the right

Language to notice

In the outlets’ own words

Side by side

From the left

Dan Rather Spent Much Of His Iconic Career At CBS News — Now, He Says, It's A 'Disaster'

From the center

From the right

Dan Rather's Sensational language“withering”The adjective adds the outlet’s own judgement of the severity of Rather’s criticism.More neutral: criticismDisagree with this highlight? criticism of CBS 'doesn't reflect reality,' network insider says

How the coverage built up

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Key points

Where accounts differ

Compare views

the left

the center

the right

Language to notice

In the outlets’ own words

Side by side

From the left

Dan Rather Spent Much Of His Iconic Career At CBS News — Now, He Says, It's A 'Disaster'

From the center

From the right

Dan Rather's witheringSensational language“withering”The adjective adds the outlet’s own judgement of the severity of Rather’s criticism.More neutral: criticismDisagree with this highlight? criticism of CBS 'doesn't reflect reality,' network insider says

How the coverage built up

Read next

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Full Fifth Circuit rules immigrants in removal proceedings have no right to bond hearings

Dan Rather's Sensational language“withering”The adjective adds the outlet’s own judgement of the severity of Rather’s criticism.More neutral: criticismDisagree with this highlight? criticism of CBS 'doesn't reflect reality,' network insider says