CBS News’ Eye on America franchise is growing as the news division announced the addition of correspondents and an executive story editor who will be dedicated to covering the unit.
Correspondents joining Eye on America include Nikki Battiste, James Brown, Adriana Diaz, Jericka Duncan, Mark Strassmann and Jonathan Vigliotti. According to Eye on America executive editor Jim Axelrod, who announced these additions in a memo to staff, these correspondents will also continue with their current roles at CBS News.
Axelrod added, “Each brings passion, commitment and experience to exploring a question that seems to only grow more complex by the day: ‘Who are we?’”
He also announced that Brian Bingham would join the unit as executive story editor, saying, “In his 24 years at CBS News, including many spent overseeing some of the best stories at CBS Mornings—both hard news and features—many of us have come to know Brian as a treasured colleague who blends a keen sense of narrative, a deep well of humanity and an abundance of affability. He and I will work closely together to ensure EOA content is integrated smoothly and constructively into the Evening News. ”
Bingham, in joining Eye on America, said, “It’s an honor to be part of the Eye on America Unit. It’s been almost 25 years in the morning show landscape for me, and this is a tremendous opportunity to bring some of those valuable ideas and lessons to the CBS Evening News. I’m excited to get started with Jim, Adam and the entire team to put together original and impactful stories that are part of CBS News’ DNA.”
In February, Eye of America was expanded and re-imagined as a separate unit within CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell. Axelrod leads the new unit, which uses a team of core reporters and producers to deliver stories on key issues that matter to people nationwide.
“The goal is for Eye on America stories to air four nights a week, with Steve Hartman’s On the Road continuing to air on Fridays. In other words, these stories won’t be just once a week; they will become a staple in our broadcast,” said Adam Verdugo in a note to staff at that time.
Verdugo added that news segments “will run first on the CBS Evening News and then be featured across all CBS News and Stations programs and platforms.”
Read Axelrod’s memo to staff announcing the new additions below:
Hi team,
Since we announced the new Eye on America (EOA) unit a few weeks ago, I’ve been working with Adam Verdugo and senior leaders across the organization to build the infrastructure to support our mission: produce best-in-class, in-depth storytelling to be broadcast four nights a week on the “CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell,” and as part of its expansion, featured across all CBS News Stations and platforms. Reimagining EOA is an exciting and energizing undertaking. We are forging a new path forward by relying on our best traditions. What has always separated us from our competitors? Our storytelling. It’s in our DNA.
Today, it is my pleasure to announce the group of correspondents who will be dedicated to the unit, reporting the stories that examine the people, trends, influences, developments, dynamics, conflicts, problems, and solutions that are shaping our culture in communities big and small all across the country. In addition to their current roles, Nikki Battiste, James Brown, Adriana Diaz, Jericka Duncan, Mark Strassmann, and Jonathan Vigliotti will join me in reporting the EOA pieces. Each brings passion, commitment, and experience to exploring a question that seems to only grow more complex by the day: “Who are we?”
And in a tremendous stroke of good fortune, I am also thrilled to announce Brian Bingham will join me in running the Eye on America unit as Executive Story Editor. In his 24 years at CBS News, including many spent overseeing some of the best stories at CBS Mornings – both hard news and features – many of us have come to know Brian as a treasured colleague who blends a keen sense of narrative, a deep well of humanity, and an abundance of affability. He and I will work closely together to ensure EOA content is integrated smoothly and constructively into the Evening News.
Finding, reporting, and producing four compelling stories every week for the Evening News is a big ask, but it’s also a terrific opportunity. We have plenty of real estate to cover on that broadcast and across our platforms, and we are open for strong pitches. We aim to begin airing the new Eye on America stories around the end of April, and it’s critical we have plenty of inventory to meet the demand.
That means in addition to relying on our core team of correspondents, EOA will offer CBS News and Stations correspondents, reporters, and producers the opportunity to cover stories that will air under the EOA banner. In fact, other teams have already pitched stories that have been greenlit. Brian and I want to hear from anyone at CBS News and Stations who wants to contribute. Our goal is to build a center of excellence, from pitch to production, from scripting to the final edit. And that requires the effort and participation of the wonderful storytellers we have in our newsrooms from coast to coast, including our new Beats/Units teams, the CBS News Investigative Unit, and the CBS Local News Innovation Lab, as well as the best storytellers who work for CBS Stations. We can all be part of differentiating CBS News from our competitors by offering stories each night of a depth, length, and quality that will become EOA trademarks.
There will be more to come. For now, I want to express my deep gratitude to everyone who has reached out so far to express excitement. We want to keep everyone at CBS News and Stations engaged with our twin goals: establishing another platform for our journalists where they can do their most rewarding, satisfying, and consequential work, while producing meaningful, well-told stories for our viewers.
Thank you all,
Jim