Bari Weiss takes reins at CBS News

Paramount Skydance has made it official: Bari Weiss is taking over CBS News. The company is acquiring her media startup, The Free Press, for a reported $150 million and naming her editor-in-chief, reporting directly to Paramount CEO David Ellison. The deal marks a sharp turn for the legacy network — and an ascent for Weiss, who built her reputation as a polarizing opinion writer before launching The Free Press in 2021, where a recent essay hailed the AI “actress” Tilly Norwood as “one of your better chances” to see a virgin on-screen. OK!

In her first note to CBS staff, Weiss outlined the core principles she intends to champion, among them reporting “on the world as it actually is,” explaining complex issues plainly, and presenting a diversity of viewpoints so audiences can weigh the strongest arguments on “all sides.” “I imagine you have some questions. I do, too,” Weiss wrote. “In the coming days and weeks, my goal is to get to know you, hear what’s working and what isn’t, and figure out how we can make CBS News the most trusted news organization in America and the world. I’ll approach it the way any reporter would—with an open mind, a fresh notebook, and an urgent deadline.”

“In these early days working together, I’ve seen the Bari who you will get to know: a person of incredible energy, judgment, and perception for what will resonate with audiences,” wrote Ellison, son of billionaire and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, in a note to CBS staff. “[Weiss] will help ensure that our reporting remains relevant, accessible, and — most importantly — trusted in this new era for American media.”

But not everyone at CBS is sold on Weiss. “The general sense is, ‘This can’t be happening,’” a high-ranking journalist told Business Insider. “How many people have led us in just the last five years?” asked another employee, per The Guardian. “Throwing America’s best big tech apologist at the problem isn’t going to fix the ratings.”

Weiss’ arrival comes after a string of high-profile moves at CBS. The network recently named Trump campaign donor Kenneth R. Weinstein as ombudsman. Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle Trump’s lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” segment from the 2024 election, and soon after, CBS cancelled “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” a frequent critic of the Trump administration.

“I am confident that, in the coming years, CBS News and The Free Press will make big strides and be at the forefront of a much-needed transformation in how news is gathered, reported, and delivered,” wrote Ellison. “We are here to achieve great things together.”