Key facts
- Sir Trevor Phillips advised CBS News colleagues to tell critics to "fuck off".
- Phillips made the remarks during a contentious meeting in the network's London bureau.
- The meeting addressed concerns about editorial integrity and interference.
- Phillips defended foreign editor Shayndi Raice's stance on editorial oversight.
- Phillips stated that journalists need to avoid external influence to maintain objectivity.
Veteran British broadcaster Sir Trevor Phillips advised his CBS News colleagues to tell critics to "fuck off" and let them do their jobs, during a contentious meeting of the network's London bureau. The meeting addressed concerns about editorial integrity and interference, particularly following the installation of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief after Skydance Media's acquisition of CBS parent Paramount Global. Phillips defended foreign editor Shayndi Raice, who had criticized staffers for viewing editorial oversight as interference, stating that such messages were common sense. He recounted facing criticism himself upon joining CBS News and emphasized the importance of journalists maintaining objectivity and avoiding external influence by adopting a mentality of dismissing critics.