ABC Veteran Jumps to CBS Amid Network Uncertainty

Matt Gutman, a seasoned veteran of ABC News, is making a significant leap to CBS News, where he is slated for a prominent on-air position. This move makes him the first on-screen talent to join the Paramount Skydance news division under its recently appointed editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss. Gutman is expected to begin his tenure at CBS News on January 5, maintaining his base in Los Angeles.

His new role is extensive: Gutman will serve as a lead correspondent for the investigative program "48 Hours" and contribute to future seasons of the flagship program "60 Minutes." He is also scheduled to serve as a fill-in anchor on various CBS News programs. In announcing the hire, CBS News emphasized Gutman's experience covering events in the Middle East, an area that is reportedly a key interest of Weiss. Weiss spoke highly of the correspondent, stating, "Matt Gutman goes there. He brings the audience along with him to whatever story he is covering, and he approaches his work with the qualities we look for in all our journalists: fearlessness, energy and relentlessness... I cannot wait for him to get started.”

Gutman's arrival, however, comes as many insiders within CBS express concern over the network’s future direction. Furthermore, his career at ABC News was not without controversy. In 2020, ABC News suspended him after he erroneously reported on air that all four of Kobe Bryant’s children were aboard the helicopter that crashed and killed the basketball star; only Bryant and one daughter were on the craft. More recently, in September, he drew significant pushback and later apologized for describing texts from Tyler Robinson, the assassin who killed conservative advocate Charlie Kirk, as "very touching in a way we did not expect."