Bari Weiss, a former New York Times opinion writer turned the founder of The Free Press, is expected to be named as editor in chief of CBS News by the newly formed parent company Paramount Skydance.
Sources familiar with the arrangement shared with the that the announcement could come as soon as next Monday.
As the editor-in-chief of CBS News, Weiss will not report directly to CBS News President Tom Cibrowski, but instead will have a direct line of communication with Paramount Skydance Chief Executive David Ellison. Weiss will take on the role of guiding the editorial coverage of CBS News, whereas sources said that Cibrowski will be more focused on production.
The deal between Weiss and Paramount has been brewing for a year. Weiss, who has been outspoken against “woke” culture and ideology, was first approached by Ellison with an offer to take a senior role at “60 Minutes.” Some of the segments on 60 Minutes, such as an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris and another depicting Israel’s role in the Gaza War, have garnered scrutiny of possessing a liberal bias. In July Paramount agreed to settle a lawsuit with President Donald Trump. The $16 million settlement came just weeks before the federal government gave its approval for Paramount’s merger with Skydance. Weiss will take on the role of guiding the editorial coverage of CBS News
Meanwhile, Paramount is geared up to acquire Weiss’ The Free Press for $150 million. A source shared that The Free Press would have no affiliation with CBS News besides sharing the same company.
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