CBS News to hire Trevor Phillips, Sky News host, as global correspondent

CBS News is set to hire Trevor Phillips, a well-known British broadcaster currently hosting a Sunday morning show on Sky News, as a global affairs correspondent. The move represents a significant acquisition for the network's editor Bari Weiss, who has faced challenges in recent months. The appointment has not been officially announced, and a CBS News spokesperson declined to comment. Phillips also did not respond to a request for comment.

Phillips, who was knighted in 2022 for his work on equality and human rights, began his media career before moving into politics. He served as head of the Commission for Racial Equality from 2003, appointed by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair, and later chaired the Equality and Human Rights Commission from 2007 to 2012. More recently, he has been a presenter on Sky News, hosting both a politics show and a Sunday morning program.

At CBS News, it remains unclear what specific role Phillips will take on. The network has a London bureau that recently lost its respected chief Claire Day. Meanwhile, Shayndi Raice, a Wall Street Journal veteran, was brought in to oversee foreign coverage.

Phillips also serves as chairman of the global free expression campaign Index on Censorship and is a senior fellow at the right-leaning think tank Policy Exchange. He writes a regular column for The Times, where he has expressed a personal connection to the United States, describing himself as a son of immigrants who has thrived in America.

The hiring comes amid turmoil at CBS News. In late May, the network's flagship program "60 Minutes" saw a major restructuring, described by veteran correspondent Scott Pelley as "Black Thursday," with senior leadership and many correspondents let go. Pelley himself was fired days later. Since Weiss took over as editor in October, the network has conducted two rounds of layoffs, creating a need to rebuild its news operation.