Sir Trevor Phillips urges CBS News staff to dismiss critics

During a contentious meeting of the CBS News London bureau, veteran British broadcaster Sir Trevor Phillips advised colleagues to tell critics questioning the network’s editorial integrity to ‘fuck off and let us do our jobs’.

The meeting included a lengthy critique from foreign editor Shayndi Raice, who addressed unnamed staffers regarding editorial oversight. Raice stated that disobeying editors would constitute insubordination and provide ‘legal grounds for firing’. Phillips initially defended Raice, noting that the necessity of such a message was surprising given the organization’s capability.

These internal tensions follow the acquisition of Paramount Global by David Ellison’s Skydance Media in the summer of 2025. The leadership transition included the appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief, a move that reportedly unsettled staff. Phillips, who joined CBS as a senior global affairs correspondent after leaving Sky News, is also a contributor to ‘60 Minutes’.