CBS News Promotes Adrienne Roark, Jennifer Mitchell in New Leadership Roles

EXCLUSIVE: Adrienne Roark and Jennifer Mitchell will take on expanded roles as part of a new leadership structure at CBS News and Stations, marking the latest changes at the division.

Roark will serve as president of editorial and newsgathering for CBS News and Stations, taking over the duties from Ingrid Ciprián-Matthews, who stepped down as president of CBS News but will continue as a senior editorial adviser through the election. In her new role, Roark will lead field and newsroom teams, as well as CBS News Radio.

Previously, Roark served as president of content development and integration. She will still manage the CBS Local News Innovation Lab in Dallas-Fort Worth and oversee the Centers of Excellence focused on data journalism, weather, and other specialized units. Additionally, she will continue to lead WCBS and WLNY in New York, along with WBZ and WSBK in Boston.

Mitchell has been promoted to president of stations and digital for CBS News and Stations. She will be chiefly responsible for CBS Stations and the division’s local and national digital platforms, overseeing 23 of the 27 CBS-owned stations. This expansion includes seven stations in the East, previously led by Roark, such as KYW and WPSG in Philadelphia, KDKA and WPKD in Pittsburgh, WFOR and WBFS in Miami, and WJZ in Baltimore. Mitchell had been leading CBS Stations on the West Coast and Midwest.

Roark and Mitchell will continue to report directly to Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures. They will both share the responsibility for overseeing the content of the division’s local and national streaming channels.

McMahon, in her broader role, will oversee all CBS News network broadcasts, collaborating with executive producers to maximize the brand’s potential across multiple platforms.

Additional new roles were announced for other news executives. Alvin Patrick will now also be in charge of specials and documentaries across CBS News, Stations, and Media Ventures while retaining his role as executive producer of the CBS News Race and Culture Unit. He will report to McMahon.

Terri Stewart has been promoted to senior vice president of newsgathering, while Wendy Fisher has been named senior vice president of editorial. Stewart and Fisher will report to Roark and will be responsible for leading day-to-day editorial newsgathering and running community journalism news hubs, respectively.

David Reiter has taken on the role of senior vice president, CBS News 24/7, special events, and special projects. He will be responsible for special TV coverage and lead the division’s streaming initiatives, reporting to Roark.

Recently, CBS made changes to its CBS Evening News, appointing John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois as anchors in New York, following Norah O’Donnell’s departure after the election. Bill Owens, the executive producer of 60 Minutes, will assume a new role as a supervising producer of the evening broadcast. Margaret Brennan will be a regular on the evening news, focusing on political coverage from Washington, D.C.

In a memo, McMahon emphasized Roark’s role in developing newsgathering processes and managing editorial aspects across CBS News. Roark has led several cross-divisional initiatives like Eye on America and the National Community Journalism Movement and has been pivotal during major breaking news events, including the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.

McMahon added, “By leveraging the Super Desk to connect our teams, Roark will help ensure distinctive and comprehensive daily news coverage that aligns with our mission.”

McMahon also highlighted Mitchell’s significant influence on CBS News 24/7, a flagship streaming show launched during the channel’s recent rebrand. “Mitchell has been crucial in the growth of our local streams, which have surged to the top position against same-market competitors in just two years,” McMahon wrote.

These changes come as CBS parent Paramount Global aims to cut $500 million in costs, coinciding with a planned merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media.