Copyright independent
The newly-appointed editor-in-chief of CBS News, Bari Weiss, reportedly has a security detail costing $10,000 a day — even after the network cut 100 staffers in a brutal round of layoffs. Weiss, a former opinion writer who founded the center-right “anti-woke” digital outlet, The Free Press, has eight bodyguards assigned to her at all times, Page Six reported Monday. The former New York Times columnist is driven around in a caravan of SUVs, similar to the president or vice president, with the cars and security detail costing the company an eye-watering $10,000 a day, according to the report. News of the pricey security arrangement comes as the struggling network laid off 100 staffers last Wednesday, leading to the cancellation of two digital shows, the gutting of CBS News’ Saturday morning offering, and the disbanding of its race and culture unit. Weiss, 41, took over CBS News in early October after its parent company, Paramount Skydance, bought her Substack newsletter The Free Press for $150 million. She came into the role with no prior TV news experience. Paramount, which merged with David Ellison’s media company Skydance in August, also laid off 1,000 employees last Wednesday. Ellison, son of Trump ally and billionaire Larry Ellison, had promised the Trump administration that he’d eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion policies once he took over the company. CBS News and Paramount did not immediately return The Independent’s requests for comment. Weiss was pictured with “no less than six” bodyguards while attending a conference at the New York Historical Society by private equity group RedBird Capital on October 21, according to The Cut. Meanwhile, other well-known media figures, like former CNN head Jeff Zucker and former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, appeared to arrive at the event alone, according to the report. It was not immediately clear why Weiss needs such a large security detail, though Page Six noted that she is a staunch Zionist, which could potentially make her a target. Weiss has long been an outspoken critic of diversity initiatives and “wokeness” in the media and workplaces. She famously quit her job as a New York Times columnist in 2020 over the paper’s “illiberal environment,” claiming she was a victim of bullying from her left-leaning colleagues over her “centrist” viewpoints. Of the 100 staffers who lost their jobs at CBS News, eight were female on-air personalities. Paramount is expected to lay off another 1,000 staffers in the coming months. Following the first round of cuts, Weiss told reporters and journalists impacted that she was there to provide “support” to anyone who needed it. “This is just such an enormously difficult day for so many people who have given years of their lives to this company,” she said during the morning editorial call, according to audio reviewed by The Independent. “And I’m sorry, and I want to support everyone in whatever way I can,” she added. “My door is open, whether I’m sitting up here or downstairs.”
