Kenneth R. Weinstein, a former CEO of the right-leaning policy think tank Hudson Institute, was chosen by CBS News's new management on Monday to serve as the network's ombudsman and examine complaints over its coverage.
Mr. Weinstein was a surprising candidate for the position because he had no prior expertise managing news coverage. Jeff Shell, the newly appointed president of CBS's parent company, Paramount, which just merged with the Hollywood production business Skydance, will be his supervisor.
One of Skydance's promises to the Trump administration this year when it applied for clearance of its merger with Paramount was to appoint an ombudsman to CBS News.
David Ellison, the creator of Skydance, has promised to improve CBS News, which frequently trails NBC and ABC in Nielsen ratings and recently got into a heated argument with President Trump over allegations of editorial bias. Mr. Ellison is in negotiations to buy The Free Press, an independent news organization, and promote its co-founder Bari Weiss to a senior editorial position at CBS News. Following pressure from the Trump administration, the network modified its policies last week over how to handle some political interviews.
Mr. Weinstein has a lengthy history in neoconservative and right-wing public policy circles. He frequently criticizes the Biden administration and is a strong and outspoken supporter of Israel. He previously likened the Biden White House to the foolish characters in the television series "Veep."
According to federal disclosure papers, he gave almost $40,000 to Republican and pro-Trump political organizations last year. Both Republican and Democratic presidents have appointed Mr. Weinstein to federal advisory boards, and Mr. Trump nominated him to be ambassador to Japan in 2020.
Additionally, Mr. Weinstein has previously criticized CBS News for certain aspects of its coverage. He claimed that an interview in which CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil questioned author Ta-Nehisi Coates about his critical opinions of Israel may "save @CBSNews from utter condemnation" in a since-deleted post on X.
Mr. Weinstein "will serve as an independent, internal advocate for journalistic integrity and transparency," according to a statement from Paramount.
Mr. Weinstein is already known to Mr. Shell, the head of Paramount. Together, they were members of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which is now the U.S. Agency for Global Media, an independent federal organization that is in charge of civilian media backed by the U.S. government, including Radio Free Asia. Former President Barack Obama nominated Mr. Weinstein for the board in 2013.
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