CBS Evening News producer Alicia Hastey penned a fiery note on Wednesday night (February 11) after leaving the show amid “sweeping” changes at the network.
The note was shared by New York Times reporter Ben Mullin on X, which he described as a “bombshell farewell note.” In her note, Hastey wrote, “It is with sadness that I write to tell you that I am taking a buy out and today was my last day in the Broadcast Center.”
As previously reported by the New York Post, 11 CBS News staffers opted for buyouts, including six producers from CBS Evening News. A source familiar with the matter told the outlet, “Seems like people are jumping ship.” The buyouts were only offered to non-unionized employees.
“The Evening News has a new host and a new direction, and there will be more change coming,” a CBS News HR email to staffers read, referring to new CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil. “We hope you are excited about this vision, but we understand that some of you may not be, and we want to provide support.”
NEW: “CBS Evening News” producer Alicia Hastey sends a bombshell farewell note:Stories are “evaluated not just on their journalistic merit but on whether they conform to a shifting set of ideological expectations.” pic.twitter.com/4orZmbkqRI— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) February 12, 2026
Hastey continued, “There has been a sweeping new vision prioritizing a break from traditional broadcast norms to embrace what has been described as ‘heterodox’ journalism.”
In October 2025, the Free Press co-founder, Bari Weiss, was appointed as the new editor-in-chief of CBS News. Since then, Weiss has been putting her stamp on the network, including hiring, firing, and promoting.
“Stories may instead be evaluated not just on their journalistic merit but on whether they conform to a shifting set of ideological expectations — a dynamic that pressures producers and reporters to self-censor or avoid challenging narratives that might trigger backlash or unfavorable headlines,” Hastey added.
RelatedCBS News’ Tony Dokoupil’s Latest Ratings Compared With NBC & ABC
Hastey, who joined CBS News in 2021 after leaving NBC News, later praised the journalists who remain at the network. “You all produce thoughtful and important work, even under difficult circumstances,” she wrote. “That is precisely what makes this moment so heartbreaking: the very excellence we seek to sustain is hindered by fear and uncertainty.”
Weiss held a townhall meeting with CBS News employees in January, during which she outlined her vision for the network. She also made it clear that people were free to leave if they didn’t believe in her strategy.
“It’s a free country, and I completely respect if you decide I’m not the right leader for you, or this isn’t the right place at the right time,” she said, per the Post.
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