Lisa Ling breaks silence after CBS ouster
Veteran journalist Lisa Ling said she was not shocked to learn she was among the dozens of CBS News staffers let go this week in a sweeping round of cuts ordered by the network’s new management team.
Ling, 52, confirmed her dismissal in a video posted Thursday on Instagram — one day after CBS’s parent company, Paramount Skydance, slashed roughly 1,000 jobs across its divisions in the first wave of cost-cutting since its $8 billion merger closed in August.
🎬 Get Free Netflix Logins
Claim your free working Netflix accounts for streaming in HD! Limited slots available for active users only.
- No subscription required
- Works on mobile, PC & smart TV
- Updated login details daily
“So yesterday, I got a call from CBS that I was among the massive layoffs at the network,” Ling said in the clip.
“Now this didn’t entirely surprise me, because I wasn’t a full-time employee, but rather a contributor, and we’re easy to cut. My heart, though, goes out to all of those who had been working at the network for many, many years.”
Her exit came alongside the firings of “CBS Saturday Morning” co-anchors Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson, foreign correspondent Debora Patta and correspondents Janet Shamlian, Nancy Chen and Nikki Battiste — all part of a newsroom downsizing that affected about 100 CBS News employees.
Gayle King, the high-earning co-anchor of “CBS Mornings,” is likely to depart next year, according to Variety. King told TMZ on Friday that she has “no idea” if her show will make changes once her contract expires in May, adding that she hasn’t heard from management as to whether she is on her way out.
The layoffs hit just days after newly installed editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and network president Tom Cibrowski began a major overhaul of CBS News, which insiders said included axing the Race and Culture unit, shuttering the Johannesburg bureau and canceling two streaming programs.
In her Instagram message, Ling reflected on her brief tenure at the network and praised colleagues who, like her, had seen their jobs eliminated.
“I worked with some wonderful people at CBS, and I was so proud of the multi-part series I was able to do on caregiving, psychedelic healing and the state of spirituality, among so many other segments, things so relevant to so many of us now,” she said.
“All of the series had this thread of healing running through them, and I wanted to let you know that I am developing a platform that will go into even greater depth on a whole range of issues related to intergenerational strength and healing.”
Ling joined CBS in 2023 after a nine-year stint at CNN, where she hosted “This Life with Lisa Ling.”
She previously served as a correspondent for ABC’s “Nightline” and co-hosted “The View” from 1999 to 2002.
Her layoff adds to a widening talent shake-up at CBS, where high-profile names, including “CBS Evening News” anchor John Dickerson, have announced their departures and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” is set to end in 2026.
The Post reported earlier this week that “CBS Saturday Morning,” which has been on the air for 28 years, will undergo a radical revamp under Weiss and Cibrowski, who sources said deemed the broadcast “too expensive.”
Executives also canceled “CBS Mornings Plus,” a weekday streaming show co-hosted by Adriana Diaz and Tony Dokoupil.
Patta, a veteran foreign correspondent based in South Africa, was added to the layoff list at the last minute after a Rome-based colleague, Chris Livesay, successfully appealed to Weiss for his job.
CBS has declined to comment on individual personnel decisions.
Let’s be honest—no matter how stressful the day gets, a good viral video can instantly lift your mood. Whether it’s a funny pet doing something silly, a heartwarming moment between strangers, or a wild dance challenge, viral videos are what keep the internet fun and alive.