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How Bari Weiss' Takeover of CBS News Shifts the Media World [View all]
The founder of The Free Press will become chief editor of the storied newsroom after a career of expressing disdain for traditional journalism
https://www.thewrap.com/bari-weiss-cbs-news-role-meaning-david-ellison/
https://archive.ph/Tvy1f
The controversial owner of the Free Press is poised to take a top role at the storied newsroom despite expressing disdain for traditional journalism (Christopher Smith for TheWrap)
The acquisition of Bari Weiss’ right-leaning The Free Press by Paramount places her in a disruptive role atop the beleaguered but storied CBS News. With her unprecedented ascent to become editor in chief, the move heralds the arrival of a divisive, ferociously ambitious figure with distinct political views overseeing one of the world’s most consequential news operations. What could go wrong?
When asked about his plans for CBS News in August, Paramount’s newly minted CEO, David Ellison, told reporters that he didn’t want to “politicize anything” as he took the reins of the historic company. But in bringing aboard Weiss, someone who has no experience in broadcast news and whose work has launched multiple firestorms over hot-button political issues including gender identity, Israel and Gaza and the influence of tech bros on Washington, Ellison has seemingly undermined that claim.
On Monday, Paramount said it would acquire The Free Press for what insiders say is $150 million in stock and cash. Weiss will report directly to Ellison while CBS News President and Executive Editor Tom Cibrowski will continue to manage its day-to-day operations and report to George Cheeks. One person with knowledge of the conversations described the role as consulting at a high level rather than running the daily news operation, as Weiss will also continue to run The Free Press.
The person also told TheWrap that with Weiss’ hiring, Susan Zirinsky — who was brought on earlier this year to oversee news after the previous owner Shari Redstone bristled at some of the network’s coverage of the war in Gaza — will exit that role. Weiss’ appointment upends the conventional thinking around how a newsroom should be run, a shift that is happening as journalists see their media organizations face increasing financial and political pressure. At the same time, trust in media in the U.S. has sunk to an all-time low as President Trump regularly attacks any coverage he deems remotely unfavorable.
snip
https://www.thewrap.com/bari-weiss-cbs-news-role-meaning-david-ellison/
https://archive.ph/Tvy1f
The controversial owner of the Free Press is poised to take a top role at the storied newsroom despite expressing disdain for traditional journalism (Christopher Smith for TheWrap)
The acquisition of Bari Weiss’ right-leaning The Free Press by Paramount places her in a disruptive role atop the beleaguered but storied CBS News. With her unprecedented ascent to become editor in chief, the move heralds the arrival of a divisive, ferociously ambitious figure with distinct political views overseeing one of the world’s most consequential news operations. What could go wrong?
When asked about his plans for CBS News in August, Paramount’s newly minted CEO, David Ellison, told reporters that he didn’t want to “politicize anything” as he took the reins of the historic company. But in bringing aboard Weiss, someone who has no experience in broadcast news and whose work has launched multiple firestorms over hot-button political issues including gender identity, Israel and Gaza and the influence of tech bros on Washington, Ellison has seemingly undermined that claim.
On Monday, Paramount said it would acquire The Free Press for what insiders say is $150 million in stock and cash. Weiss will report directly to Ellison while CBS News President and Executive Editor Tom Cibrowski will continue to manage its day-to-day operations and report to George Cheeks. One person with knowledge of the conversations described the role as consulting at a high level rather than running the daily news operation, as Weiss will also continue to run The Free Press.
The person also told TheWrap that with Weiss’ hiring, Susan Zirinsky — who was brought on earlier this year to oversee news after the previous owner Shari Redstone bristled at some of the network’s coverage of the war in Gaza — will exit that role. Weiss’ appointment upends the conventional thinking around how a newsroom should be run, a shift that is happening as journalists see their media organizations face increasing financial and political pressure. At the same time, trust in media in the U.S. has sunk to an all-time low as President Trump regularly attacks any coverage he deems remotely unfavorable.
snip
Bari Weiss launched The Free Press with funding from Peter Thiel allies Marc Andreessen and David Sacks. She’s the new editor-in-chief of CBS News. 1/
— Jenny Cohn (@jennycohn.bsky.social) 2025-10-06T21:10:14.651Z
8 replies
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