CBS News’ Scott MacFarlane exits network

CBS News justice correspondent Scott MacFarlane has become the latest correspondent for the network to announce their departure.

“This is my decision, and I appreciate the bosses at CBS for understanding it,” MacFarlane wrote in a post on his public LinkedIn page. “I will always value the opportunity I had to work alongside the talented and committed professionals here. I’m proud to have had the words ‘CBS correspondent’ next to my name — always will be. For the next phase of my career, I look forward to some independence and finding new spaces to share my work in line with my personal goals.”

His departure was announced March 9, 2026, and was reportedly a surprise for many CBS News staffers. 

MacFarlane, who joined CBS News in 2021, covered multiple stories for the network, including the extensive legal fallout from the January 6 Capitol Insurrection. He was also on-site during the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

MacFarlane’s exit is the latest in a string of high-profile departures from the network’s roster of on-camera talent and behind-the-scenes staffers after CBS parent Paramount was taken over by the Ellison family in 2025. 

When first hired by MacFarlane, he was seen by many as the latest member of a new cohort of legacy media correspondents who are adept at using social media to keep viewers updated in between on-air appearances. 

MacFarlane did not offer specifics about what’s next for him beyond the reference to “some independence” and “finding news spaces to share my work,” which could be an indication he may attempt to build his own media brand. That move, if it pans out, would be similar to what some other former network anchors and correspondents have attempted with mixed results. 

Although MacFarlane notes his departure is his decision, the move comes during a tumultuous time at the network. Former opinion editor and book reviewer Bari Weiss became editor-in-chief of the network in October 2025 after Paramount bought her commentary and analysis site The Free Press. She has also retained her leadership post at that site, despite its opinion-heavy coverage that tends to skew right-of-center.

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Meanwhile, CBS News has seen at least two significant rounds of layoffs in recent months and more cost-cutting is likely, especially given Paramount’s plans to take over Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN. Although no definitive plans have been announced about how the networks might operate once the deal goes through, the new company will be saddled with debt, which it will likely try to stem with significant reductions in both staff and resources.