The Huffington Post has reported that former New York Times opinion writer Bari Weiss has been tapped to lead CBS’s news division as editor-in-chief. Since her tenure at the New York Times, Weiss has been a vocal critic of cancel culture and many trends within left-leaning media.
According to the Huffington Post, Paramount will also acquire Weiss’s company, The Free Press, in a deal that values the company at $150 million. Weiss initially joined Substack after leaving the Times due to conflicts with young staffers over what she called “bullying” over conservative-leaning ideologies.
Via the Huffington Post, the CEO of Skydance, who recently acquired Paramount, shared his thoughts on the hiring in a statement. “Bari is a proven champion of independent, principled journalism, and I am confident her entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision will invigorate CBS News. We believe the majority of the country longs for news that is balanced and fact-based, and we want CBS to be their home.”
Via the Huffington Post, Weiss wrote an article in The Free Press after the acquisition. “It gives The Free Press a chance to help reshape a storied media organization — to help guide CBS News into a future that honors those great values that underpin The Free Press and the best of American journalism.”
The Huffington Post has reported that Skydance has made promises to the Trump Administration ahead of the merger that it would provide “unbiased journalism”. In addition to canceling any DEI initiatives previously in practice at the company.
According to mxdwn, this comes amid speculation that media companies have been bending to President Donald Trump’s wishes. CBS recently cancelled Late Night With Stephen Colbert. Colbert (The Colbert Report, Late Night With Stephen Colbert) had been vocal critic of the President during his program. Additionally, the recent suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, has caused concern among media scholars and personalities.
The Huffington Post has reported that CBS had previously been embroiled in a lawsuit with the Trump Administration over an interview on 60 Minutes, which Trump claimed had given him an unfair edit in order to shine a more positive light on campaign rival Kamala Harris. CBS would eventually go on to settle for $16 million, a decision that would cause several CBS editorial executives to resign in protest.
According to the Huffington Post, the Weiss hiring can be viewed as Paramount continuing down the path of appeasement. Weiss has been a vocal critic of DEI, stating that the # MeToo movement has gone too far. She has understated reports of famine in Gaza and recently interviewed Peter Thiel in a decidedly congenial manner.