“We all know our industry and company are going through a transformation and a number of short- and long-term decisions need to be made,” Ciprián-Matthews wrote in a memo to CBS News employees. “I do not want to be disingenuous with any of you about who should drive these decisions. I’ve always leaned into my integrity and my values and I felt it was important to be transparent at this juncture about my plans.”
Ciprián-Matthews will remain with the network through the election as a senior editorial adviser, “given the historical significance of this election and the current political moment.”
One of the network’s chief rivals, ABC News, is also in a state of extreme flux with just four months to go before the presidential election. Kim Godwin resigned as president of the network in May, and her deputy, Stacia Deshishku, followed her out the door last month.
Ciprián-Matthews has worked at CBS News since 1993. In her memo, she said she plans to “write [her] next chapter,” but did not share further details.
“Over the past four decades, from NPR and CNN to more than 30 years at CBS, I’ve been able to see much of the world, cover most of the major news events of our lifetimes, and, most of all, work with all of you, in the field, in bureaus, on shows, and from the front office,” she wrote. “I am so thankful for each and every one of you and am filled with gratitude for what we have accomplished.”
CBS News has had little continuity at the top in recent years. Legendary television producer Susan Zirinsky, who inspired Holly Hunter’s character in the film “Broadcast News,” held the role of president for only two years, stepping down in 2021. She was succeeded by a pair of executives, Wendy McMahon and Neeraj Khemlani, but Khemlani left his role last year after a tumultuous tenure.
McMahon, who serves as president and chief executive of CBS News and Stations, said in her own memo that “Ingrid’s real superpower lies in the care and compassion she demonstrates for our people and our work.”
The network did not immediately announce plans for Ciprián-Matthews’s successor, but McMahon said that more updates will soon be shared.
