Bari Weiss, the polarizing editor and founder of The Free Press, is poised to hold a prominent role at CBS News, according to multiple reports.
Per The Wrap, Puck and Status, Paramount is nearing a deal to acquire The Free Press for as much as $200 million and elevate Weiss to a top position at CBS as a result.
The reported Free Press deal and Weiss hire signals a more conservative direction for CBS News under Skydance chief David Ellison despite statements he’s previously made about steering clear of politicizing the company.
Spokespeople for Paramount and The Free Press did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Weiss previously served as an opinion columnist at The New York Times, where she was known for pieces criticizing the Me Too movement and campus activism for what she described as excesses. She left The Times in 2020 after publishing a resignation letter accusing the publication of stifling ideological diversity and critics of progressive viewpoints. Weiss is also the author of the 2019 book “How to Fight Anti-Semitism.”
The Free Press has described itself as founded on “fierce independence” and committed to “stories that are ignored or misconstrued in the service of an ideological narrative.” It’s also fielded criticism for pieces that included a friendly interview with venture capitalist Peter Thiel and that sought to undercut reports of famine in Gaza by pointing to other illnesses and injuries that Palestinian children suffered from.
The reported acquisition offers a preview of how Ellison, the son of a top Trump ally, intends to shape CBS News moving forward.
20 Years OfFreeJournalism
Your SupportFuelsOur Mission
Your SupportFuelsOur Mission
For two decades, HuffPost has been fearless, unflinching, and relentless in pursuit of the truth. Support our mission to keep us around for the next 20 — we can’t do this without you.
We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.
Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.
We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.
Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
It adds to other maneuvers that indicate the direction the storied network could take.
Prior to Skydance’s successful purchase of Paramount, CBS agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by Trump over edits made to a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris before the 2024 elections, raising serious concerns about press freedom.
Trump has also suggested Paramount’s merger with Skydance included a side deal, which would guarantee millions in favorable ads at CBS News. And CBS has announced it’s canceling “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” a frequent Trump critic, citing financial reasons.