Norah O’Donnell signed off for the final time as CBS Evening News anchor on Thursday night, ending an era that began in 2019 and saw her become one of the few women to helm a nightly broadcast news show.
CBS staffers told The Independent that they are both “excited and fearful” over a new iteration of CBS Evening News, adding that “nothing was really working” under O’Donnell’s leadership.
The network insiders cited O’Donnell’s “risk-averse” and “middle-of-the-road” approach to stories as a key reason the show wasn’t resonating with viewers. To that point, CBS Evening News pulled in just 4.6 million viewers during the fourth quarter last year, drawing 3 million fewer than ABC’s World News Tonight.
At the same time, network employees pointed out that the 51-year-old journalist is a “beloved figure” within the CBS halls who has always supported her colleagues — especially women.
As O’Donnell moves into a new role as a senior correspondent, CBS Evening News — which has long been stuck in third place in the evening news broadcast ratings — will transition to a two-man team of John Dickerson and Maurice Dubois. The program, which has been based in Washington, D.C., will return to New York, and Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan will serve as its lead correspondent out of Washington.
O’Donnell’s emotional farewell on Thursday night was punctuated by the surprise appearance of talk show legend Oprah Winfrey, who praised O’Donnell for the “incredible impact” she’s made throughout her career.
“It has been an incredible five and a half years,” O’Donnell said at the end of Thursday’s broadcast, noting that she was told a “surprise guest” would be appearing to help “look back” at the show’s accomplishments.
Winfrey then appeared on the screen and teed up a montage that included O’Donnell’s interviews with Pope Francis and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“You have so much to be proud of,” Winfrey said. “Your work as the anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News has not only won awards, but more importantly, has made such a difference and informed our nation.”
An emotional O’Donnell turned back to the camera to express her gratitude for her years leading the network’s nightly news broadcast.
“This has been the honor of a lifetime to anchor this legacy broadcast,” she said. “The CBS Evening News, for good reason, is the longest-running evening newscast in America. And it is powered by the finest journalists in the world.”
O’Donnell continued: “The correspondents, producers, researchers and crews who work tirelessly to bring you the news every night — that won’t change because journalism matters. I know that because I’ve heard that from so many of you — our viewers. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for trusting us and welcoming hard news with heart into your homes.”
The CBS Evening News crew then surrounded O’Donnell’s desk and gave her a round of applause as the broadcast began wrapping up. “I will miss you too. So for the final time, that’s tonight’s CBS Evening News. I owe it all to everyone I work with. Seriously. Love you. Good night,” she concluded.
O’Donnell’s goodbye on Thursday night comes months after she announced that she would step down as anchor and managing editor of CBS Evening News “to take on a new position at the network” after the election. She noted then that she would move into a new role as a senior correspondent, which would see her contribute long-form reporting to the network’s news broadcasts and CBS’s award-winning news magazine 60 Minutes.
