Former NYT Journalist Appointed to Head CBS Following Paramount Merger
Paramount has selected former New York Times opinion writer Bari Weiss to lead CBS News, representing the latest step by new owners to restructure activities of a major US news outlets.
Paramount is furthermore acquiring The Free Press, the web-based platform Weiss established after her disputed exit from the New York Times, in a agreement said to be worth $150 million.
Ms Weiss, who has questioned television news for becoming too partisan, said she was eager to shape CBS, which was taken over by David Ellison earlier this year as part of a larger merger with Paramount.
Background of the Appointee
Ms Weiss, who started her career at Jewish publications, is recognized for her backing of Israel and her skepticism of "woke culture".
From its inception as a newsletter in 2021, The Free Press has gained 1.5 million subscribers, including over 170,000 paid subscribers.
It has garnered notice for coverage such as a feature questioning of NPR by one of its previous business editors, as well as an investigation of some images used by traditional journalism to illustrate famine in Gaza.
Notable authors include academic Niall Ferguson and economist Tyler Cowen.
Strategic Plans
Mr Ellison said the selection of Ms Weiss as top editorial position was part of a broader initiative to refresh programming at Paramount and make CBS the "most reliable name in news".
"We think the greater part of the country longs for news that is even-handed and fact-based, and we want CBS to be their destination," he said.
Additional Shifts at CBS
Terms of the arrangement were not made public. Paramount would not address stories that the corporation had paid $150 million in stock and cash.
Mr Ellison established his reputation as a Hollywood cinematic creator of major films such as Top Gun Maverick, True Grit and World War Z.
He has said his goal is to produce journalism that is less politically skewed, and therefore has the capacity to reach all viewers.
His takeover of Paramount was approved by oversight bodies this recent period, after the company agreed to pay $16 million to settle a legal action.
To secure clearance of the deal, Mr Ellison pledged to create an independent ombudsman at CBS to assess complaints of bias and vowed to oversight bodies that content would showcase a range of view points.
He also said CBS's long-running political show "Face the Nation" would cease to air edited interviews.
Partnership Details
CBS News has a collaborative arrangement with a global news organization, meaning news reporting including visual material can be distributed.
In a message revealing the agreement, Ms Weiss said she believed in the Paramount boss and his leadership team.
"They are doubling down because they have faith in news. Because they have courage. Because they cherish this country. And because they understand, as we do, that America cannot prosper without shared information, common truths, and a unified worldview," she commented.
