Bari Weiss’s Controversial Rise to the Top of CBS News
In a move that has sent ripples through the media industry, Bari Weiss has taken the helm at CBS News as its new editor-in-chief. Weiss, a name familiar to many as a former opinion writer and editor at the New York Times, has made waves with her outspoken criticism of mainstream media and her advocacy for a press free from élite bias.
From the New York Times to a New Chapter
Just a few years ago, Weiss resigned from her position at the New York Times, condemning the paper for its doctrinally liberal stance and perceived disconnect from the American public. Her departure was not just a personal choice but a statement against what she saw as a media landscape that pandered to an élite audience while turning its back on the average American.
Following her departure, Weiss launched a Substack that would eventually evolve into The Free Press, an online platform dedicated to anti-woke journalism and a broader spectrum of views. She argued that both Fox News and MSNBC were feeding their audiences “political heroin,” creating a populace that felt “politically homeless” and disconnected from traditional labels like Republican, Democrat, conservative, or liberal.
David Ellison’s Hand in CBS News’ New Direction
The transformation at CBS News did not happen overnight. It was orchestrated by media mogul David Ellison, who was in the process of acquiring Paramount, CBS’s parent company. To smooth the path for his $8 billion deal, Ellison handpicked Weiss to lead CBS News in early October, a move that many in the industry saw as a strategic gesture to appease President Donald Trump.
“They just wanted to hire Bari as a symbolic gesture to Donald Trump to make sure they got that deal through,” a longtime media executive remarked. “Don’t think about it as David Ellison paying a hundred and fifty million dollars for The Free Press. Think about it as a hundred and fifty million dollars on top of the price they paid for Paramount. It was basically the cost to get it to go through.”
A New Vision for CBS News
Despite the controversy surrounding her appointment, Weiss’s arrival at CBS News also coincided with a long-simmering crisis in broadcast news. Trust in traditional media is at an all-time low, with audiences increasingly turning away from networks they perceive as biased or out of touch. For Weiss, the job offered a chance to revitalize the network by giving viewers what she believed they really wanted: news coverage that was more heterodox and politically interesting.
The scale of CBS News was daunting—its newsroom employed twelve hundred people compared to the sixty at The Free Press. Yet, the potential audience was beyond anything she could have hoped to build with a Substack. Early on, Weiss circulated a list of ten principles that would guide the network’s coverage under her leadership. She emphasized a brand of journalism that “holds both American political parties to equal scrutiny” and “embraces a wide spectrum of views and voices so that the audience can contend with the best arguments on all sides of a debate.”
Adjusting to a New Environment
At forty-one, Weiss had started The Free Press out of her home. Now, she was ferried around in an S.U.V. and required to be accompanied by bodyguards, including inside CBS’s offices. (“Some would say it’s offensive,” one producer told me. “The implication was that we’re going to try to kill her.”)
Her transition into the more buttoned-up world of television news was not without its challenges. At her first editorial meeting, she donned a CBS baseball cap and ended the session by telling the room, “Let’s do the fucking news!” At another meeting, she urged staff to increase coverage of the protests unfolding in various cities across the country. Her digital-media background made her an uneasy fit in the traditional television news environment, but her vision was clear and unwavering.
Championing a Press Free from Élite Bias
Weiss’s approach to journalism is rooted in her belief that the mainstream media has become too entrenched in its biases, whether liberal or conservative. She advocates for a press that is free from the influence of élite interests and more attuned to the diverse perspectives of the American public. Her goal is to create a media landscape where viewers can access a wide range of viewpoints and make up their own minds.
As she takes the helm at CBS News, Weiss faces the daunting task of reshaping one of the most established news networks in the country. Her critics argue that her close alignment with Trump and Ellison’s acquisition of Paramount raises questions about her independence and the network’s integrity. However, Weiss remains undeterred, confident in her ability to transform CBS News into a platform that truly serves the public interest.
The Future of CBS News
Only time will tell whether Weiss’s bold vision for CBS News will succeed. The media landscape is constantly evolving, and networks that fail to adapt risk becoming irrelevant. With her controversial appointment and her commitment to challenging the status quo, Weiss is betting that a new approach to journalism can reinvigorate the public’s trust in the media.
As the nation grapples with political division and a crisis of trust in institutions, the role of the press has never been more critical. Under Weiss’s leadership, CBS News aims to be at the forefront of this transformation, offering a fresh perspective that resonates with a diverse and discerning audience.
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