CBS News editorial executive Adrienne Roark, who made headlines for reprimanding morning anchor Tony Dokoupil over an interview he conducted with an author critical of Israel, is preparing to exit the network, according to a report.
Roark’s departure comes as CBS, led by Wendy McMahon, grapples with legal and political battles involving Trump and its controlling stakeholder, Shari Redstone, who has reportedly signaled her willingness to settle the lawsuit with the president.
Roark, who sources say saw the writing on the wall and decided to leave ahead of an anticipated merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media, is expected to take on a senior role at TEGNA, according to Breaker and the Status newsletter.
In October, McMahon and Roark reprimanded Dokoupil for his pointed questioning of author Ta-Nehisi Coates regarding his pro-Palestinian positions on Hamas’ war with Israel, prompting internal backlash over the network’s journalistic integrity.
During a staff meeting on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack, McMahon and Roark criticized Dokoupil for injecting personal bias into the interview, according to multiple reports.
They argued the discussion, which also featured co-anchors Gayle King and Nate Burleson, failed to meet CBS News’ impartiality standards, though they did not elaborate on specific concerns.
The Post has sought comment from CBS.
A source close to the situation told The Post that Roark’s exit can be attributed to the fact that “there’s no job security with the Skydance merger.”
“It’s difficult. Everyone is trying to get out,” the source told The Post.
Roark is “not going to be missed” at the Tiffany Network since there are already a significant number of senior executives at the network, which the source described as “top heavy.”
“Nobody in the news division knew what she did,” the source said.
The source said that one of Roark’s key mistakes was taking Dokoupil to task for his interview of Coates.
Roark’s exit comes more than a week after The Post reported that Trump is pushing for a substantial financial settlement from CBS over his $10 billion lawsuit alleging election interference.
Trump recently amended the lawsuit and is now seeking $20 billion.
Sources familiar with the situation indicate that Trump’s legal team is positioning to demand a nine-figure sum, far exceeding the $16 million recently paid by ABC and the $25 million settlement from Meta.
The negotiations remain in the early stages. Discussions over a possible settlement began earlier this month.
Trump filed suit against CBS and its parent company Paramount Global after “60 Minutes” aired an October interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump claims the interview was deceptively edited to favor the Democratic ticket.
While no formal settlement offer has been presented to Paramount Global, sources close to Trump’s legal team suggest he may demand an amount in the range of $100 million or more.
A legal insider indicated that an opening demand of $100 million to $150 million would not be unexpected, citing Trump’s previous aggressive legal tactics.
The former president’s team had pursued a similar strategy against ABC, securing a deal where $15 million was earmarked for Trump’s presidential library and an additional $1 million allocated for legal fees.
The high-stakes negotiations carry significant implications for Paramount Global, which is currently working to finalize its merger with Skydance Media, owned by Larry and David Ellison.
The $8 billion transaction, valued at $2 billion less than Trump’s lawsuit against CBS, is poised to close within the first quarter of the year.
However, the deal is drawing regulatory scrutiny, particularly from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has scheduled a public hearing next month to examine allegations of news distortion at CBS News.
Trump-appointed FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr recently released the full transcript and video footage of Harris’ “60 Minutes” interview, revealing that the program had substantially shortened one of her responses regarding Israel, reducing it to just 20 words.
The move has further inflamed tensions, with speculation that the FCC may delay its decision on the merger while awaiting a resolution between the parties.
Trump reacted strongly to the release of the transcript, taking to Truth Social to denounce CBS, calling the network’s actions an example of election interference and fraud.
He went so far as to suggest that CBS should lose its broadcasting license over the matter.
His legal team reinforced this stance, with attorney Ed Paltzik asserting that CBS and its parent company, Paramount, had misled the public.
He further stated that any settlement should both compensate Trump for perceived damages and serve as a warning to media organizations against manipulating information for political purposes.
As the legal battle unfolds, CBS remains silent on the matter. Meanwhile, Paramount faces mounting pressure to navigate both its merger ambitions and the growing controversy surrounding its flagship news division.
