Update: Roughly five hours after this post was published, we received updated information from a network source regarding the three network journalists who had reportedly been laid off. You can find those new details in this post.
According to one report, a trio of journalism legends are leaving CBS News. The moves are being made as a result of post-ViacomCBS merger streamlining, along with economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Among those staffers reportedly leaving is longtime White House correspondent Mark Knoller, a man considered to be a human encyclopedia of White House and presidential knowledge, with other correspondents—and even White House officials—taking advantage of his memory and notes. Knoller primarily reports for the web and for CBS News Radio.
He started his career as an intern and copy boy at WNEW Radio in New York, then worked his way up to weekend reporter. In 1975, he took a job with AP Radio in Washington, and joined CBS News in 1988. He has covered every president since Gerald Ford.
Thanks to all for the many kind words. Much appreciated. For the time being, I’m still on the job, still keeping count on the president. Will see what happens. Thanks again.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 28, 2020
Freelance journalist Yashar Ali first reported that Knoller would be departing the network. Knoller’s tweet above, however, doesn’t explicitly confirm that.
Ali also tweeted that Cami McCormick and Dean Reynolds have been laid off.
7. I’m also told by three sources familiar with the matter that CBS News Pentagon reporter Cami McCormick has been laid off.
While reporting for CBS in Afghanistan in 2009, Cami lost her leg after an IED hit a US Army vehicle she was traveling in. https://t.co/ylGSD8rf4p
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) May 28, 2020
It’s worth noting that TVNewser has not been able to independently confirm these layoffs.
McCormick joined CBS in September 1998. While reporting for CBS News Radio in 2009, she was injured by an IED in Logar Province, Afghanistan. The award-winning war correspondent was in Afghanistan to cover the elections and the continued fighting in the region.
In 2010, McCormick was honored by the Radio Television Digital News Association at its Edward R. Murrow Awards dinner as she accepted CBS’ Overall Excellence Award.
Dean Reynolds, a Midwest-based correspondent for CBS News, joined the network in July 2007 after a 23-year run at ABC News. In addition to his many journalistic achievements, Reynolds is the son of the late iconic ABC anchorman Frank Reynolds, Peter Jennings’ predecessor on the evening newscast.
Jake Tapper, a former ABC Newser himself, reacted to the news.
Tough as nails correspondent, smart, clever, hates BS — one of the greats. This is awful. https://t.co/KDap7nvsdH
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 28, 2020