Bari Weiss is reportedly making waves inside CBS News once again, this time by quietly championing an unexpected candidate for one of the most visible roles in American broadcasting. According to a new report, Weiss has been pushing for ABC News correspondent Matt Gutman to be considered for the anchor position on the “CBS Evening News,” a move that has raised eyebrows across the industry.

Gutman, 47, currently serves as ABC’s chief national correspondent and is well known for his extensive field reporting, including years covering conflict zones and major international events throughout the Middle East. Although his résumé is filled with frontline reporting and investigative work, he has never served as a nightly news anchor — a fact that makes Weiss’s interest in him both surprising and emblematic of her unconventional editorial approach since stepping in as editor in chief of CBS News last month.

The Status newsletter, which first reported the development, noted that Weiss has been intentionally looking beyond traditional anchor profiles as she works with CBS News President Tom Cibrowski to identify a replacement for the network’s current evening news team. John Dickerson, who has co-anchored the broadcast with Maurice DuBois since late January following Norah O’Donnell’s departure, is expected to leave the role at the end of the year, prompting an urgent and wide-reaching search for a successor.

While Gutman has been flagged as a potential contender, insiders told Status that the likelihood of him joining CBS remains slim. He is still under contract with ABC, which is owned by Disney, making an immediate move unlikely. Nonetheless, Weiss’s interest signals her willingness to consider candidates who sit outside the traditional anchor mold.

Within CBS, several internal names are also being evaluated. “CBS Mornings” co-anchor Tony Dokoupil is said to be a leading in-house possibility, and Norah O’Donnell — who previously held the chair — remains in the mix. Yet Weiss has made clear that she is not limiting the search to CBS talent. She has reportedly reached out to several high-profile figures across competing networks, including Fox News anchor Bret Baier and CNN’s Anderson Cooper, both of whom have significant experience hosting national broadcasts. Baier, however, is contracted with Fox News through 2028 and recently stated in an interview with Meghan McCain that he is “very happy at Fox,” making his potential move similarly unlikely.

Weiss’s notice of Gutman in particular has intrigued CBS employees. Some insiders suggested that her interest may be partly influenced by his reporting on Israel, a topic about which Weiss has shown consistent and personal engagement over the years. Gutman’s on-the-ground experience in the region, along with his reputation for calm, clear coverage in high-risk environments, may have caught her attention as she looks to reshape the voice and direction of the network.

Since taking charge of the news division, Weiss has already enacted significant changes. Installed by new CBS owner David Ellison to overhaul the network’s journalistic identity, she has taken an unusually hands-on approach. She has issued sweeping internal directives, asserted control over booking decisions, and personally called producers to outline coverage priorities. Her search for the next “CBS Evening News” anchor is seen as one of the most important decisions of her early tenure — one that will likely define the tone and direction of CBS News for years to come.

Dickerson and DuBois, who have co-hosted the broadcast since earlier this year, remain in their roles for now, but Weiss is reportedly intent on selecting a single anchor to carry the show into its next iteration. The evening newscast, long considered the prestige program of the CBS newsroom, remains a symbol of the network’s identity and editorial leadership.

Gutman’s lack of anchoring experience may ultimately work against him, but his reputation as a skilled field correspondent with deep global expertise makes him an intriguing candidate in Weiss’s broader plan to modernize CBS’s journalism. Whether he ultimately becomes a serious contender remains to be seen, but the fact that Weiss has taken notice signals her intention to break from tradition and consider voices that reflect a different kind of journalistic authority.

For now, the search continues — and with Weiss at the helm, the final decision may be as unexpected as her latest pick.