Why is John Dickerson leaving CBS after 16 years? All on major shakeup under Bari Weiss

Weiss was hired last month by David Ellison, the new owner of Paramount, to restructure CBS News, and there has been a lot of conjecture about how she might contribute to the network. Under Weiss, “CBS Evening News,” which has lagged behind competitors on ABC and NBC since Dickerson and Maurice DuBois started co-anchoring earlier this year, will be the first show to undergo a makeover.

John Dickerson announces CBS exit

“At the end of this year, I will leave CBS, sixteen years after I sat in as ‘Face the Nation’ anchor for the first time. I am extremely grateful for all that CBS gave me — the work, the audience’s attention and the honor of being a part of the network’s history— and I am grateful for my dear colleagues who’ve made me a better journalist and a better human. I will miss you,” Dickerson wrote on social media.

CBS News President reacts to Dickerson’s exit

Dickerson’s departure would also mean an alteration for “CBS Evening News,” which in January replaced Norah O’Donnell with Dickerson and DuBois. Although it’s uncertain what the program will do in the future, CBS News President Tom Cobrowski stated that Dickerson will be honored as he will soon take an exit.

“After 16 years at CBS News and contributing to every program here, John Dickerson has decided to step away at the end of the year. John epitomizes the very best of journalism. He will co-anchor the CBS Evening News until the holidays, when he will say farewell. Until then, we’ll have plenty of time to thank him for his work here and honor his contributions to our success,” Cobrowski stated in a statement, as per Fox News.

Dickerson has co-headlined “CBS This Morning,” moderated the two presidential primary debates on CBS News, contributed to “60 Minutes,” anchored “Face the Nation,” and conducted almost 20 interviews with President Donald Trump.

There was internal and external criticism of Weiss’s hiring, with some pointing to her lack of television experience and opinion background. However, a CBS News insider recently stated that there are two different groups of staffers who are concerned about Weiss in the newsroom.