Norah O’Donnell, the anchor of “CBS Evening News,” announced on Tuesday that she will be stepping down from her position after the presidential election. O’Donnell has been the top anchor at CBS since 2019 and has been with the network for 12 years. She expressed her desire for a change after being tied to the daily broadcast and the relentless news cycle. While she will be leaving her anchor role, she will still contribute interviews and stories in a role that is yet to be fully defined.
The decision comes amidst the network’s commitment to continue the broadcast, but without indicating who will be replacing O’Donnell. Despite the ratings of the “CBS Evening News” trailing behind ABC and NBC, O’Donnell’s departure marks a significant shift in network news.
O’Donnell’s focus on interviews and storytelling will continue in various CBS broadcast and digital properties, as per Wendy McMahon, CBS News chair. The change is not related to the impending merger of CBS News parent Paramount to Skydance Media. The departure of CBS News president Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews after news of the merger also does not play a role in O’Donnell’s decision to step down.
As O’Donnell prepares to leave her anchor position, her departure signals a shift in the network news landscape and raises questions about the future of “CBS Evening News” and who will fill her influential anchor chair.
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