Lisa Ling has, over the course of her career, traveled to far-off places including Costa Rica and North Korean. Her next stop: CBS News.
Ling, who recently cut ties with CNN after the Warner Bros. Discovery-based cable-news outlet canceled her documentary program, “This Is Life,” will join CBS News as a contributor, says co-president Neeraj Khemlani. She is expected to debut on CBS News later this summer, and will be based in Los Angeles.
“If you look at her work over the years, she is really excellent at embedding with communities,” says the executive, in an interview. “You can only do that if you are afforded time and resources that fits with the kind of storytelling that we do.”
Ling is expected to contribute reports to “CBS Mornings,” the flagship A.M. program of the CBS broadcast network. During Khemlani’s tenure, the program has focused more intently on longer-form features and stories, many of which are seen in the second hour on weekdays and throughout the show’s Sunday edition. Ling’s work is expected to turn up during those times, says Khemlani.
“I can’t think of a better home for my style of reporting than CBS News given its tradition of exceptional news gathering and thoughtful storytelling,” says Ling, in a prepared statement. “I’m honored to be working with this venerable organization to tell the stories of people behind the headlines whose voices need to be heard.”
Ling marks the latest in a series of notable journalism hires at CBS News. She joins a line that includes Nate Burleson, the former NFL player; Robert Costa, previously with The Washington Post; Natalie Morales, who recently joined “48 Hours”; and Cecilia Vega the one-time ABC News correspondent who recently joined “60 Minutes.” Many media companies are scrutinizing employee and talent hires, and CBS News’ parent, Paramount Global, is no exception, says Khemlani, but he intends to keep “making strategic investments” when possible.
Ling had been affiliated with CNN for more than eight years, thanks to her documentary series, “This Is Life with Lisa Ling,” The show had her take viewers to examine issues ranging from sex trafficking to gun violence. In 2022, she led a six-part series about Asian-American history and cuisine called “Take Out” for the streaming hub HBO Max.
Before CNN, Ling spent six years as the executive producer and host of “Our America” for the Oprah Winfrey-led OWN. She has also covered stories around the world as the host of “National Geographic Ultimate Explorer.” Ling was a co-host on ABC’s “The View” for three years and contributed to ABC’s “Nightline.” She started in journalism as a correspondent for Channel One News, where she covered the civil war in Afghanistan at the young age of 21.
