Norah O’Donnell Talks Pressure to ‘Edit’ Interviews Amid CBS News Turmoil

Martin Holmes February 24, 2026, 9:52 am

What To Know

Norah O’Donnell stated she has never been pressured to edit or remove content from her interviews during her 14 years at CBS News.
She acknowledged that while reps sometimes attempt to influence interviews, she has not personally faced demands.
O’Donnell’s comments come amid leadership changes and controversy at CBS News.

Norah O’Donnell has worked at CBS News for over 14 years and, in that time, has experienced several leadership changes and the challenges and pressures that come with it.

The former CBS Evening News host appeared on the first two episodes of The Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast, the second of which dropped today, Tuesday, February 24. During the latest interview, Lima asked O’Donnell if she’d ever felt pressure to “edit” part of an interview.

“I think people think that we give somebody the questions in advance, which would be against standards, and so we never do that,” O’Donnell explained, per People. “Now, do people try and influence… do the press people call up the producers and say, ‘Are you gonna ask about this? Are you gonna ask about that?’ We say, ‘Well, we’re gonna ask whatever’s in the news that day.'”

As for whether she’s ever felt pressure to edit something after an interview, the veteran reporter told Lima she has “not personally ever been in this situation.”

“Have I felt pressure? Sure,” O’Donnell added. “But I’ve never been in the situation where I had to compromise my integrity. No. And when, and if that happens, I will speak publicly about it.”

She reiterated that she has “never” been asked to remove something for an interview.

O’Donnell’s comments come after a tumultuous time for CBS News, which has undergone several changes over the past year. Following parent company Paramount’s merger with Skydance, CEO David Ellison hired The Free Press co-found Bari Weiss as CBS News’ new editor-in-chief.

Bari Weiss Makes Another Big Change at CBS News

Weiss has faced criticism for some of her decisions, including pulling a 60 Minutes segment about the notorious El Salvador prison CECOT in December 2025. The segment later aired on the January 18 episode.

Earlier this month, Anderson Cooper announced he will be leaving 60 Minutes after the current broadcast season.

Despite this, O’Donnell, who continues to serve as a CBS News correspondent and 60 Minutes contributing correspondent, said she has never personally experienced pressure to edit or change the style or content of her reporting.

“I think there’s a newer feeling out there, or maybe it’s a newer fear that the media is being censored now, or edited,” she stated. “Not in my work. I can’t speak for everybody. You know, everybody that’s doing a taped interview or a live interview or whatever it may be. But for me, I can speak about myself, and I have not been pressured to do that.”

On Monday (February 23), O’Donnell returned to CBS Mornings to guest-host alongside Gayle King and Nate Burleson. O’Donnell, who co-anchored CBS Mornings from 2012 to 2019, will appear on the show through Wednesday (February 25) as part of the tour for her new book, We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America, which she co-authored with Kate Andersen Brower.