John Dickerson announced on October 27, 2025, that he would leave CBS News at the end of that year after 16 years with the network. He is no longer at CBS. His final broadcast as coanchor of the CBS Evening News, alongside Maurice DuBois, aired on Thursday, December 18, 2025.
So why is John Dickerson leaving CBS, or more accurately, why did he leave? He has not given a detailed public explanation. His farewell message focused on gratitude, while the timing overlapped with a leadership change at CBS News, a new ownership structure at Paramount, and his own on air criticism of the company.
This article separates what is documented from what is interpretation. It covers his announcement, CBS’s response, the surrounding context, what happened to DuBois, who replaced them, and what Dickerson is doing as of October 2026.
John Dickerson At A Glance
John Frederick Dickerson is an American journalist born on July 6, 1968, in Washington, D.C., which makes him 58 years old today. He is the son of Nancy Dickerson, who made broadcasting history in 1960 as CBS’ first female correspondent, and he graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in English and American studies.
Wikipedia currently describes him as a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a former CBS News journalist. The snapshot below reflects his status in October 2026, based on his own newsletter, university pages and news coverage.
- Known for: 16 years at CBS News, including Face the Nation, CBS This Morning and the CBS Evening News
- Last CBS broadcast: December 18, 2025
- Current work: contributing writer at The Atlantic, cohost of Slate Political Gabfest, writer of the podcast Navel Gazing
- Books: The Hardest Job in the World, Whistlestop, On Her Trail
- Spouse: Anne Dickerson
- Successor on the Evening News: Tony Dokoupil
Why Is John Dickerson Leaving CBS? The Short Answer
The short answer is that Dickerson has not explained his reasons in detail. In his Instagram post, he thanked CBS for the work, the audience’s attention and the honor of being part of the network’s history, and he said he would miss his colleagues. He did not name a cause, and one report noted that he did not disclose a reason for his departure.
What is documented is the surrounding context. Bari Weiss had just become editor in chief of CBS News, Paramount was now under Skydance ownership, and Dickerson had publicly questioned the company’s settlement with President Trump a few months earlier. Reporters framed his exit as part of a wider shake up, but that framing is analysis, not a statement from Dickerson.
His January 2026 newsletter post answered the question of where he is now rather than why he left. That distinction matters, because many popular explanations online present motives as established fact when the public record only shows timing, public criticism and a change in leadership.
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What John Dickerson Said When He Announced His Exit
Dickerson shared the news on Instagram on Monday, October 27, 2025. He wrote that he would leave CBS at the end of the year, sixteen years after he first sat in as the Face the Nation anchor, and he thanked the colleagues who made him a better journalist and a better human.
His tone was grateful rather than combative. He did not criticize management in the post, and he did not say whether he was leaving over a disagreement, for another job or simply because he was ready for a change. A University of Chicago politics page later states that he resigned from CBS News in December 2025.
Months later, on his Substack, he wrote a playful post titled “Where Is John Dickerson Now?” for people who had been searching for him. He answered with a list of current projects. Once again, the post described what he was doing, not why he had left.
What CBS Said About His Departure
CBS News president Tom Cibrowski said in a statement that after 16 years and contributions to every program at the network, Dickerson had decided to step away at the end of the year. He added that Dickerson would continue coanchoring until the holidays and described him as someone who epitomizes the best of journalism.
The wording is worth noticing. By saying Dickerson decided to step away, CBS presented the move as his choice, and the reporting reviewed for this article contains no evidence that he was fired. A Hollywood Life explainer on the transition stated plainly that there was no evidence of CBS firing either Dickerson or DuBois.
Variety noted that the evening newscast had suffered in the ratings since executives shifted away from a heavy focus on breaking headlines, and that CBS had contacted talent agencies about new prospects. Those are reported circumstances around the program. They are not confirmed reasons behind Dickerson’s personal decision.
The Context Behind The Exit
Bari Weiss And The Paramount Skydance Shake Up
Paramount acquired The Free Press in October 2025 and named its founder, Bari Weiss, editor in chief of CBS News. She reports to Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison. Dickerson’s announcement came within weeks, and he was described as the first major on air talent to leave since her installation.
Variety also reported that CBS News faced layoffs as Paramount Skydance pursued cost cuts after the Ellison family bought the company from Shari Redstone. Together, these changes made the fall of 2025 one of the most turbulent periods in the network’s recent history, with several senior figures departing in quick succession.
None of these outlets reported that Dickerson cited Weiss as his reason. The Hollywood Reporter wrote that it was not immediately clear why he was leaving. A fair reading is that the timing was striking and the editorial direction was changing, while his actual motive remains his own to explain.
His Public Criticism of the Trump Settlement
In July 2025, Paramount settled President Trump’s lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, a settlement reported at 16 million dollars. Dickerson criticized it on the Evening News, asking whether anyone can hold power to account after paying it millions.
That commentary was unusual for an anchor whose employer was a party to the dispute, and it is the incident most often linked to his departure. Mediaite and People both mentioned his criticism of the settlement in their coverage of his exit.
Linking the two events is understandable, yet no source reviewed documents that CBS penalized him for those remarks or that he left because of them. The accurate statement is that he criticized the settlement and, a few months later, announced that he was leaving.
The Evening News Reboot and Ratings
Dickerson and DuBois took over from Norah O’Donnell on January 27, 2025, as the broadcast was rebooted and moved from Washington to New York. The format aimed to bring longer, more reported pieces to the nightly newscast, and Dickerson also anchored a streaming extension called CBS Evening News Plus.
The Hollywood Reporter noted that the program had been stuck in third place behind ABC and NBC for years. Variety said it had suffered further since the revamp, which prompted widespread questions about the broadcast’s direction once Dickerson’s exit became public.
Mediaite reported, citing the Status newsletter, that Weiss and Cibrowski had explored recruiting major names such as Bret Baier and Anderson Cooper before settling on Dokoupil. That suggests the network wanted a different direction, though it does not explain why Dickerson chose to leave.
Was John Dickerson Fired, Ousted or Did He Resign?
Sources use different language. CBS’s statement and the University of Chicago biography describe a decision to step away and a resignation, while the Daily Beast repeatedly calls Dickerson ousted and describes his exit as a response to a makeover it characterizes as friendly to Trump supporters.
The Daily Beast is an opinionated outlet, and its characterization is not backed by a quote from Dickerson or CBS saying he was pushed out. Hollywood Life, by contrast, reported no evidence that CBS fired him. Where sources disagree, the stronger evidence is the direct statements from the parties involved.
The best supported account is that Dickerson announced his departure on his own terms, worked through December 18 and then left. Whether any pressure existed behind the scenes is not documented in public sources, so it should not be presented as fact.
Timeline of John Dickerson’s CBS Exit
The sequence of events is short, and laying it out helps separate reported facts from interpretation. Every date below comes from an announcement, a network statement or news coverage.
Notice how quickly the final steps moved. From Dickerson’s announcement to his last broadcast took less than two months, and the replacement anchor was named just eight days before the farewell.
- July 2025: Paramount settles President Trump’s lawsuit, and Dickerson criticizes the deal on air
- October 2025: Bari Weiss is named editor in chief of CBS News
- October 27, 2025: Dickerson announces he will leave at year end
- December 4, 2025: Maurice DuBois announces his own exit
- December 10, 2025: CBS confirms Tony Dokoupil as the new Evening News anchor
- December 18, 2025: Dickerson and DuBois sign off together
- January 3, 2026: Dickerson publishes “Where Is John Dickerson Now?”
- January 5, 2026: Dokoupil begins as anchor in Miami
- February 24, 2026: Dickerson appears on The Late Show after the State of the Union
What Happened To Maurice DuBois
Maurice DuBois announced on December 4, 2025, that his last CBS News broadcast would be on December 18. He wrote that it had been the honor of a lifetime, and Cibrowski praised him as someone who has long represented what CBS does best.
DuBois did not publicly give a reason. The New York Post reported that he made his announcement after being told he would not be the future of the program, a claim Mediaite described as allegedly made. Cibrowski denied separate reports that CBS had scrambled to sign a replacement, saying he had worked with DuBois for two weeks on the announcement.
On the final night, Dickerson struggled to hold back tears while saying goodbye to his partner, according to a news report of the broadcast. The pair then closed the show together, ending a coanchor partnership that lasted less than a year.
Who Took Over The CBS Evening News
CBS News confirmed on December 10, 2025, that Tony Dokoupil, a cohost of CBS Mornings, would become the new anchor of the CBS Evening News. Dokoupil joined CBS Mornings in 2019 and previously worked at NBC News and MSNBC.
His run began on January 5, 2026, with a ten city, ten day trip called Live from America, starting in Miami. Dokoupil became the sixth person to anchor the program in roughly a decade, following Scott Pelley, Jeff Glor, O’Donnell, Dickerson and DuBois.
This answers a common question: no, Dickerson did not take over CBS News or the Evening News. He handed the role to Dokoupil, and he no longer works for the network in any capacity.
What Is John Dickerson Doing Now?
Writing, Podcasts And Teaching
Since leaving CBS, Dickerson has returned to writing for The Atlantic, according to his own newsletter. He also continues his long run as a cohost of the Slate Political Gabfest, a podcast that has now lasted two decades, and he hosts the monthly Gabfest Reads interview episodes.
His personal projects are growing as well. He said in January 2026 that he was writing the second season of Navel Gazing, a podcast based on notebooks he has kept for decades, and the University of Chicago lists him among its current Pritzker Fellows.
- Writing: contributing writer at The Atlantic
- Podcasts: Slate Political Gabfest, Gabfest Reads and Navel Gazing
- Academic role: Pritzker Fellow listing at the University of Chicago, with seminars listed as coming soon
- Books: The Hardest Job in the World, Whistlestop, On Her Trail
- Speaking: represented by the Harry Walker Agency
His Return To The Late Show
On February 24, 2026, Dickerson appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for its live episode after President Trump’s State of the Union address. LateNighter reported that it was his 20th appearance on the program, and the Daily Beast described it as his first since leaving CBS.
Colbert had called him “a journalist of sterling integrity” ahead of his final Evening News broadcast. The two share a history at CBS, and Colbert’s own show was set to end its run in May 2026, which gave the reunion extra symbolic weight.
On air, Dickerson discussed how the speech was received, pointing to polling showing that a majority of Americans disapproved of how the president was handling the economy, according to the Daily Beast. The appearance showed he remains an active political analyst outside CBS.
Public Appearances In 2026
Dickerson has stayed visible on the lecture and interview circuit. The Miller Center at the University of Virginia listed him as the speaker for its fifth annual James C. Lehrer Lecture on May 7, 2026, describing him as the former coanchor of the CBS Evening News.
In September 2026, NPR’s Wild Card published an episode in which he discussed his relationship to death. In October 2026, Slate released a Gabfest Reads episode in which he interviewed psychologist Angela Duckworth about her new book Situated.
Some older biographies still describe him as a CBS host. A Slate page on a recent Gabfest episode, for example, continues to list him as host of CBS News Prime Time, so readers should check dates when a profile mentions his current employer.
His Career Before And During CBS
Dickerson began his career as a correspondent at Time magazine, covering economics, Congress and the presidency, before becoming chief political correspondent at Slate. He joined CBS News in April 2009 as an analyst and contributor, and in 2011 he was named political director.
At CBS he moved across the portfolio, and in 2016 he moderated two of the network’s presidential debates. His arc shows why his departure drew so much attention: he had worked on nearly every major CBS News program.
- 2009: Joins CBS News as an analyst and contributor
- 2011: Named political director of CBS News
- 2015 to 2018: Moderates Face the Nation and serves as chief Washington correspondent
- 2018: Joins CBS This Morning as cohost
- 2019 to 2021: Correspondent for 60 Minutes
- 2022 to 2024: Anchors The Daily Report with John Dickerson on CBS News 24/7
- 2025: Coanchors the CBS Evening News with Maurice DuBois
- December 2025: Leaves CBS News
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Is John Dickerson Married? Marriage And Family
Wikipedia lists Anne Dickerson as his spouse. Lifestyle profiles report that the two met at the University of Virginia and married in 1995, and that Anne is the founder and chief executive of the 15 Minutes Group, a company focused on media training and message development.
Those profiles say the couple has two children. Dickerson has shared family photos on Instagram, but the children are not public figures, so this article does not name them. Details here come from secondary sources and are less firmly documented than his professional record.
No credible reporting reviewed here indicates a divorce or marital trouble. A few low quality websites hint at rumors, yet even they concede that nobody knows whether the claims are true. Without reliable evidence, they should not be treated as fact.
John Dickerson Net Worth
No reliable, audited figure for John Dickerson’s net worth has been published. Several aggregator websites offer estimates that range from roughly one million to five million dollars, but they do not show their methods, and net worth estimates of this kind should be treated with caution.
His CBS salary has also not been confirmed in the sources reviewed. What can be said is that his income has historically come from broadcasting, books, podcasts, writing and speaking.
- Estimated range on aggregator sites: about 1 million to 5 million dollars, unverified
- Salary at CBS: not publicly confirmed
- Known income streams: writing, podcasts, books and speaking engagements
Frequently Asked Questions
Does John Dickerson still work for CBS?
No. He left CBS News after the December 18, 2025 broadcast of the CBS Evening News. He now writes for The Atlantic, cohosts the Slate Political Gabfest and works on his own podcast and newsletter.
Why did John Dickerson leave Face the Nation?
He moved to CBS This Morning in January 2018 as a cohost alongside Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell. CBS said he would transition out of Face the Nation until a successor was named, after he had moderated the program since 2015.
Why are John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois leaving CBS Evening News?
Neither has publicly given a detailed reason. Both left after the broadcast of December 18, 2025, amid the Bari Weiss led changes at CBS News. Reports about DuBois being told he was not the show’s future are attributed to the New York Post and remain allegations.
Is John Dickerson taking over CBS News or the Evening News?
No. Tony Dokoupil became the CBS Evening News anchor on January 5, 2026, replacing Dickerson and DuBois. Dickerson has no current role at CBS News.
What is John Dickerson’s new job?
He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic, cohost of the Slate Political Gabfest and writer of Navel Gazing. He is also listed as a Pritzker Fellow at the University of Chicago. No new network anchor job has been reported.
Was John Dickerson fired from CBS?
No source reviewed shows that he was fired. CBS said he decided to step away, and a University of Chicago biography says he resigned. Some outlets use the word ousted, but that characterization lacks direct supporting statements.
Is John Dickerson married?
Yes. Wikipedia lists his spouse as Anne Dickerson, and secondary profiles report that they married in 1995 and have two children. No credible report of a divorce was found.
What is the relationship between John Dickerson and Stephen Colbert?
They worked together at CBS and are friends. Dickerson has been a frequent Late Show guest, appearing 20 times by February 2026, and Colbert publicly praised his integrity.
Conclusion
John Dickerson left CBS News after 16 years, with his last Evening News broadcast on December 18, 2025. CBS said he decided to step away, he thanked the network and his colleagues, and no reliable source shows he was fired or that he named a specific cause.
The most accurate answer to why John Dickerson left is that the timing coincided with major change at CBS News, but his personal reasons remain undisclosed. Today he continues his work through The Atlantic, Slate, his podcasts and public appearances, while Tony Dokoupil anchors the program he once led.
