CBS News, long considered the “Tiffany Network” of American journalism, may soon be run by one of its fiercest critics: Bari Weiss. Paramount, fresh off its $8 billion Skydance merger, is reportedly preparing to buy Weiss’ buzzy media startup The Free Press for as much as $200 million. The deal, first reported by Puck and The Wrap, would install Weiss in a top editorial role at CBS News, a move insiders say has left the newsroom “apoplectic.”
From New York Times rebel to Free Press founder
Weiss, 40, made her name as a sharp-tongued opinion columnist at The New York Times. Her pieces took aim at the MeToo movement, campus activism, and what she described as “illiberalism on the left.” In 2020, she quit in spectacular fashion, publishing a viral resignation letter accusing the paper of silencing ideological diversity. She then launched The Free Press in 2022, billing it as “fiercely independent.” The outlet quickly drew attention, and controversy, with stories that platformed conservative voices, a friendly sit-down with venture capitalist Peter Thiel, and essays that critics said downplayed the famine in Gaza.
Why Weiss matters at CBS
Her potential arrival comes at a time of seismic change. As part of the Skydance-Paramount merger, new boss David Ellison has promised regulators to scrap diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at CBS News and install an ombudsman to monitor bias. Weiss, a critic of progressive orthodoxy, fits neatly into that promise of “viewpoint diversity.” But not everyone’s convinced. One CBS insider compared the ombudsman’s office to a “hall monitor,” while another journalist warned they’d resign if Weiss took charge. A biting remark making the rounds sums up the mood, “Good night, and bad luck”, a dark twist on CBS legend Edward R Murrow’s sign-off.
The bigger political backdrop
This isn’t just a newsroom shuffle. Trump has accused CBS of deceptive editing in a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris, and his lawsuit against Paramount was quietly settled ahead of the merger. CBS has also axed Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, a frequent Trump critic, citing cost cuts. For critics, putting Weiss, pro-Israel, anti-woke, and proudly contrarian, at the helm is proof of a conservative pivot. For Ellison, it’s a gamble that Weiss’ brand of disruption can save CBS News from a ratings freefall. Paramount hasn’t confirmed the deal. Weiss hasn’t commented. But inside CBS, the tension is real – one of America’s most storied newsrooms may be about to hand the mic to its loudest outsider.
