Susan Zirinsky is a legend in the world of television news.

There was the time she jumped off a moving train in Augusta, Ga., during Ronald Reagan’s first term, in order to deliver footage for the “CBS Evening News.” She was the inspiration for Holly Hunter’s high-strung and highly ethical producer in the Oscar-nominated movie “Broadcast News.” Dan Rather once said she was such a part of the network’s firmament that she arrived in a yellow CBS shipping bag straight from the maternity ward.

Now, after more than four decades at CBS — including stops in evening news and morning news, covering the White House and wars, overseeing documentaries and serving as a longtime “48 Hours” executive producer — Ms. Zirinsky is ready for her most prominent role yet.

On Sunday, CBS made the surprise announcement that Ms. Zirinsky, 66, would soon become the first woman to lead CBS News. She will replace David Rhodes as the division’s president in the coming weeks.

And what awaits her?

A group that has been rocked by a string of executive changes and unsavory revelations about the broader corporate culture at CBS. Just over a year ago, Charlie Rose was fired from his roles at “CBS This Morning” and “60 Minutes” after being accused of sexual misconduct.

In September, the company’s chief executive, Leslie Moonves, was pushed out after he was accused of numerous instances of sexual misconduct. Days later, Jeff Fager, the longtime executive producer of “60 Minutes,” was fired after he threatened a colleague who was asking about allegations of harassment against him. And CBS is in need of a new producer for “CBS This Morning,” which has experienced a steep ratings decline since Mr. Rose’s departure.

Ms. Zirinsky — who keeps a copy of Walter Cronkite’s script announcing Richard Nixon’s resignation that she fetched out of a garbage can in 1974 — said it was vital for the division to be mindful of its rich history and move beyond the current turmoil.

“I’ve been at CBS since I was 20 years old,” she said. “I really care about bringing this organization together both functionally and spiritually.”

Gayle King said on Monday’s edition of “CBS This Morning” that the troubled news division was “taking on water,” and that she was hopeful that Ms. Zirinsky would “right the ship.”

“She is a smart cookie and she is a badass in every sense of the word,” Ms. King said of Ms. Zirinsky, who is known by the affectionate nickname “Z” to CBS News employees. “I’m really excited about this.”

Bob Schieffer, the former CBS News anchor, said in an interview that he had known Ms. Zirinsky since she was working weekends as a desk assistant in Washington in 1972 and believed “she’ll be perfect for this job.”

“She’s the hardest-working person that I have ever known,” he said. “She literally never stops. And I think it’ll pump a little enthusiasm into a place that kind of really needs it right now.”

In an interview on Monday, Ms. Zirinsky said that she never sought to run the news division — though she said she had been asked before — because she always thought of herself as a producer.

But between the division’s recent troubles and the news media being assailed as fake news, Ms. Zirinsky said she thought it was time to say yes to the big gig.

“The context of the times really, really demands a focus and a commitment on the part of journalists to hold firm and not to be distracted by somebody yelling at you or calling you names,” she said. “When you go into battle or go into a boxing ring and they trash-talk you to take you off your footing, you can’t do that. That’s part of why I thought it was so important to do this now.”

Until Mr. Rhodes decided to step down, she said, “I hadn’t thought of it. But I felt at this moment in my life and my career this was the time to step up.”

The first items for Ms. Zirinsky to address will be finding a permanent executive producer to replace Mr. Fager at “60 Minutes” and a new executive producer for “CBS This Morning.” Both shows are critical to the network. The long-running “60 Minutes” is a highly rated show that prizes its independence from the larger news operation. “CBS This Morning,” though in last place among network morning shows, was in the midst of a turnaround before Mr. Rose’s departure helped bring that to a halt. In 2017, both properties brought in a combined $327 million in revenue for CBS, according to Kantar Media.

Ms. Zirinsky said new producers would be installed in “short order.”

Her ascension was widely celebrated throughout the network. She was greeted with a roaring ovation from the CBS News staff when she addressed them for the first time on Monday. Far from being isolated at “48 Hours,” Ms. Zirinsky has been a sounding board and a trusted counselor to employees across CBS News for years. There will be no listening tour required before she begins to make moves at the network.

“I don’t charge per hour,” she said of her frequent open-door sessions with employees.

Mr. Rhodes, 45, who joined the network as president eight years ago and took over the news division in 2015, will be free on March 1, though he said he would continue on as an adviser. During his tenure, he tried to modernize a news division long used to conducting business a certain way. He introduced a 24-hour digital news outlet, CBSN, and helped usher in several transitions, including the successful handoff of “CBS Sunday Morning” from Charles Osgood to Jane Pauley.

Two recent transitions — at the “CBS Evening News” and “Face the Nation” — have been rockier, with ratings declines at both shows.

Two law firms that were hired last summer to look into the news division’s culture were also critical of the treatment of women at “60 Minutes.” The lawyers wrote that there was a perception among some on the staff that Mr. Rhodes “failed to promote and retain certain qualified female employees,” according to a draft report of the investigation reviewed by The New York Times. But they also said there was not a toxic atmosphere for women within the wider news division and that they did not believe Mr. Rhodes favored men over women.

It will now be left to Ms. Zirinsky to deal with the repercussions.

“There was some tough stuff that happened,” she said. “The whole world is going through tough stuff. MeToo isn’t behind us. It’s part of us. We are now a different people because of it.”

Ms. Zirinsky is certainly in touch with what’s going on in the wider world. She is an avid Twitter user, regularly live-tweeting “48 Hours” broadcasts. On Saturday night, as one viewer said that the idea of an “all American” family was a fiction and that “we all have our secrets,” Ms. Zirinsky enthusiastically replied, “YOU ARE SO RIGHT.”

“I can’t let my social network skill set go awry,” she said, upon taking her new job.

Ms. Zirinsky said that “at her core” she was a producer, and that was why she wanted to retain the title “senior executive producer.”

“When you have a legacy like CBS’, you want to hold onto that legacy,” she said. “Not bury it in your past. But take it as a baton to hand it off to the next runner.”

She also said that she would not have to adjust to new hours in the position. She said she wakes up at 4:45 every morning — “I used to say I should work on ‘CBS This Morning’ because I’m up anyway” — and exercises seven days a week.

She has done everything from boxing to Pilates. She’s taken SLT classes (strengthen, lengthen and tone) because “they told me it might make me taller.” (She is 5-foot-1.)

And she is also devoted to SoulCycle, which she does three to four times a week.

“So, look at how old I am,” she said. “Well, I can guarantee you I can outpace anybody at SoulCycle.”

An earlier version of this article, and an accompanying picture caption, misstated an achievement of the film “Broadcast News.” It was nominated for Oscars, but did not win.

Rachel Abrams contributed reporting.

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