Who is Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews? A Black Progressive Supremacist? Fires and Demotes White Journalists. Even Liberal ones. Below is a New York Post article giving you her complete picture.
That’s despite the fact that Killion wasn’t at the Capitol during the attack — and that Van Cleave “was part of ‘CBS Mornings” Emmy win for Best Live Newscast” last year for his breaking Jan. 6 coverage, according to his CBS bio.
At the time, sources claim Ciprian-Matthews falsely told producers that Van Cleave, who is white, was on vacation or was out sick. That, in turn, sparked chatter that Killion — a veteran DC journalist who covered every presidential election since 2008 for CBS News and Hearst Television — was getting the assignments because she was African-American rather than because of her qualifications.
Insiders say Van Cleave caught wind of the alleged deception and complained to colleagues — and that soon after, he was told he would be moved to Denver as a general assignment reporter.
“He was being exiled to Denver without a real beat or any producers,” said an insider with knowledge, adding that he was being moved mid-contract.
The insider said Van Cleave approached Gordon to give his testimony, but backed out over fear of retaliation. Instead, a job opened up in Dallas as a national correspondent and Van Cleave took it.
Former CBS News President Susan Zirinsky kept Ciprian-Matthews “at arm’s length,” sources said.Getty Images for Paramount+
“Ingrid is tipping the scales,” said the source. “There was no reason to put Van Cleave in that situation. All he wanted to do is the reporting.”
Van Cleave didn’t respond to requests for comment. CBS declined to comment specifically on Van Cleave.
‘At arm’s length’
Ciprian-Matthews’ own career hit a bump under Susan Zirinsky, the legendary newshound who inspired Holly Hunter’s character in “Broadcast News.” After Zirinsky was named CBS News president in 2019 following the chaotic exit of Rhodes, she moved Ciprian-Matthews from executive vice president of news to head of strategic and professional development.
At the network’s New York City offices, Zirinsky kept Ciprian-Matthews — who wasn’t happy about her new role — “at arm’s length,” according to one source, moving her office far from hers to a spot near the elevator bank. In 2020, Zirinsky named Ciprian-Matthews as CBS News’ interim bureau chief in Washington DC — a role that Ciprian-Matthews also did not want, according to a source.
Ciprian-Matthews’ boss Wendy McMahon is taking a close look at how the network runs.Golden Globes 2024 via Getty Images
“She was forced to take the job,” the source said, noting that Ciprian-Matthews “never moved to DC” even after serving a brief stint as permanent Washington bureau chief, but instead stayed in a corporate apartment as she traveled back and forth from New York.
A source close to Zirinsky insisted Ciprian-Matthews was a “top advisor” who was consulted on “every decision” she made and that she helped “right the ship” at a troubled time for the network. The source said Zirinsky didn’t want Ciprian-Matthews to be “bogged down” with day-to-day newsroom duties like sending reporters to “Maine or Afghanistan.”
Zirinsky stepped down in April 2021 and Khemlani was named co-president of CBS News. The probe of Ciprian-Matthews appeared to be over in the fall, sources said. In November, she was named No. 2 to Khemlani.
“She must know where the bodies are buried,” a former colleague speculated, claiming Ciprian-Matthews has been a “loyal foot soldier” for a trove of scandal-ridden executives over the years.
Ciprian-Matthews was cleared of claims of discriminatory hiring and management practices.CBS News
Now, Ciprian-Matthews’ boss Wendy McMahon, who came from top-ranked ABC News, is examining how to revive CBS News. McMahon is creating a new role of executive producer of daily news. The new hire will give McMahon a window into how the news gathering process runs, sources said.
“Wendy is looking at why CBS News is in last place,” an insider said. “The one common denominator is Ingrid. She has been a constant in a leadership role over the last two decades and has had a hand in everything.”
But insiders weren’t buying into the idea that the seasoned exec would be easily sidelined, given her status as one of the few diverse leaders in the upper echelons of the company — and one of its most strong-willed and savvy.
“Ingrid won’t take this sitting down. She thinks she’s running the news division, and she won’t bend to Wendy,” the insider added. “Her ego is too big.”