Paramount on Monday confirmed that it would bet millions on what many consider to be a long-shot strategy to re-energize a traditional network news division in an era when more people are getting their headlines off their social media feeds. Bari Weiss, a provocative opinion writer, will become editor in chief of CBS News while Paramount acquires The Free Press, a commentary site that has just 170,000 paid subscribers — a mere fraction of the audience that watches CBS News’ most popular shows.
Paramount is believed to be spending $150 million on the maneuver, one that even insiders acknowledge has only a slim guarantee of succeeding and could draw more scrutiny than the company cares to attract.
“Bari is a proven champion of independent, principled journalism, and I am confident her entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision will invigorate CBS News,” said David Ellison, Paramount’s CEO. “This move is part of Paramount’s bigger vision to modernize content and the way it connects — directly and passionately — to audiences around the world.”
There are some parties who aren’t sure CBS News needs to be invigorated. The news outlet backs some of TV’s most watched properties in the format, including “60 Minutes” and “CBS Sunday Morning.” At the same time, some of CBS News’ daily properties, including “CBS Evening News” and “CBS Mornings,’” have long run in third place against direct competition on ABC and NBC.
The Free Press will maintain its own independent brand and operations, and continue to do reporting, video and audio podcasts, and events for its fast-growing community of subscribers. Meanwhile, Weiss will shape CBS News’ editorial priorities and examine ways to innovate how the organization reports and delivers the news. Weiss will partner with CBS News President Tom Cibrowski, who reports to Paramount’s Chair of TV Media, George Cheeks.
“This is a great moment for The Free Press,” said Weiss, in a statement, which did not make a similar case for the benefits of the deal to CBS News. “This partnership allows our ethos of fearless, independent journalism to reach an enormous, diverse, and influential audience. We honor the extraordinary legacy of CBS News by committing ourselves to a singular mission: building the most trusted news organization of the 21st Century.”
Among staffers, whispers of the deal have generated only confusion. Weiss has no experience running a large media company, or a mainstream TV-news division. CBS News has long sought to attract broader audiences, and there is concern among the rank and file that Weiss’ perspective — which tilts toward the right — will drive away audiences who seek independent newsgathering. Besides, the media ecosystem already sports several large conservative news outlets and dozens of right-leaning media personalities.
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“Right now, I imagine you have some questions. I do, too,” Weiss said in a memo sent to staffers Monday. “My goal in the coming days and weeks is to get to know you. I want to hear from you about
what’s working, what isn’t, and your thoughts on how we can make CBS News the most trusted
news organization in America and the world. I’ll approach it the way any reporter would—with
an open mind, a fresh notebook, and an urgent deadline.”
She joins CBS News when morale is at an ebb. Several moves Paramount has made since Ellison’s team took over have proved distracting to CBS News. CBS recently named former Trump adviser and conservative think-tank leader Kenneth Weinstein as an ombudsman over the news division. And CBS News recently agreed not to edit newsmaker interviews on “Face the Nation” after U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem complained that false or unproven statements she made were deleted from an appearance on the program. Prior management also discouraged staffers by agreeing to pay President Donald Trump $16 million to settle what many observers felt was a flimsy lawsuit tied to a “60 Minutes” interview with former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.
The news division has seen a parade of senior executives and new initiatives pass through its halls in recent years. Weiss is the latest in a growing series of leaders that have ranged from Susan Zirinsky to Neeraj Khemlani to Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews to Adrienne Roark to Wendy McMahon. All have tried to boost CBS News’ fortunes with programming swings and new digital focus. In the most recent set of maneuvers, the operations of CBS News and CBS’ local stations were placed in closer proximity and “CBS Evening News” was overhauled with a two-anchor format that has not won new viewers.
Ellison has articulated a plan that calls for CBS News to work harder to reach center-left and center-right viewers, and become a place known for facts and truth. In a memo to CBS News staff addressing Weiss’ appointment and the Free Press acquisition, Ellison sought to explain his reasoning, suggesting that she brings a lens on news events and journalism that is missing from CBS News, long one of the world’s most respected news organizations.
“I think we can all agree that the temperature of our nation’s social discourse feels higher than ever. Too often, the space once reserved for thoughtful dialogue has been consumed by partisan division and hostile disputes. If we are to move forward, we must find our way back to the ideals that shaped both our country and civilization itself: open exchange of ideas, vigorous yet respectful debate, and a genuine regard for the beliefs and traditions of others,” Ellison wrote.
“I don’t pretend to have a solution to this challenge. But I do believe we each have a responsibility to do our part. At Paramount, we have both a unique opportunity and an obligation as stewards of one of the most iconic and respected news organizations in the world. We are challenging ourselves to do better – recognizing that we have the ability to reach a broad audience and demonstrate constructive, respectful, and bipartisan dialogue in our own work. Our mission is clear: to ensure that this global platform remains a place where people can seek the truth, gain understanding, and engage with the facts. That is our purpose.”
Still, outside media observers have been puzzled by the addition of Weiss to the mix, because if she pursues the direction of Free Press — one article available on the site Friday bore the headline “The ‘Jews’ Are a Proxy for a Far Bigger Political Fight,” while a reprinted essay examines goings-on in Michigan City, Ind., billed as “The Most Ordinary Town in America” because residents appear to act without paying too much attention to social media — CBS News may appear to be trying to set a cultural or political agenda, rather than collecting and presenting facts.
The Free Press has been able to attract an impressive audience and positioned Weiss as an influential voice on the center right. It has 1.5 million subscribers overall, but just 170,000 pay for its content. And yet, most of CBS News’ top properties win audiences that are significantly larger. Approximately 10 million viewers tuned in to the season premiere of “60 Minutes.” Even “CBS Evening News,” which has struggled in recent weeks, won an average of 3.7 million viewers for the five days ending September 26. As CBS News chief, Weiss will also have influence on “Face the Nation,” “CBS Mornings” and “48 Hours,” among other properties.
Read the full memos sent to CBS News staff today by Bari Weiss and Paramount CEO David Ellison:
BARI WEISS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, CBS NEWS LETTER TO ALL CBS NEWS EMPLOYEES October 6, 2025
Dear Colleagues:
I am thrilled and humbled to be writing to you as the new editor-in-chief of CBS News.
Growing up, CBS was a deep family tradition. Whenever I hear that tick, tick, tick or that trumpet fanfare, it sends me right back to our den in Pittsburgh. The opportunity to build on that legacy with you—and to renew it in an era that so desperately needs it—is an extraordinary privilege.
Right now, I imagine you have some questions. I do, too.
My goal in the coming days and weeks is to get to know you. I want to hear from you about what’s working, what isn’t, and your thoughts on how we can make CBS News the most trusted news organization in America and the world. I’ll approach it the way any reporter would—with an open mind, a fresh notebook, and an urgent deadline.
What I can tell you on day one is that I stand for the same core journalistic values that have defined this profession since the beginning, and I will continue to champion them alongside you:
- Journalism that reports on the world as it actually is.
- Journalism that is fair, fearless, and factual.
- Journalism that respects our audience enough to tell the truth plainly—wherever it leads.
- Journalism that makes sense of a noisy, confusing world.
- Journalism that explains things clearly, without pretension or jargon.
- Journalism that holds both American political parties to equal scrutiny.
- Journalism that embraces a wide spectrum of views and voices so that the audience can contend with the best arguments on all sides of a debate.
- Journalism that rushes toward the most interesting and important stories, regardless of their unpopularity.
- Journalism that uses all of the tools of the digital era.
- Journalism that understands that the best way to serve America is to endeavor to present the public with the facts, first and foremost.
I look forward to meeting many of you in the days ahead and to listening and learning from you. I am profoundly honored to join you—and I can’t wait to get started.
With gratitude and excitement,
Bari
Here is the full memo sent by David Ellison:
Dear Team Paramount:
I think we can all agree that the temperature of our nation’s social discourse feels higher than ever. Too often, the space once reserved for thoughtful dialogue has been consumed by partisan division and hostile disputes. If we are to move forward, we must find our way back to the ideals that shaped both our country and civilization itself: open exchange of ideas, vigorous yet respectful debate, and a genuine regard for the beliefs and traditions of others.
This challenge extends to the media. While it was founded with the mission of informing the public and fostering discussion on the issues of the day, too often it has become a platform that amplifies the very partisanship tearing our society apart. George Washington warned that the primary danger in politics is partisanship. Today, that danger extends far beyond politics – threatening the fabric of our communities. When we reduce every issue to “us vs. them” or “my way vs. the wrong way,” we close ourselves off from listening, learning, and ultimately growing, both as individuals and as a society.
I don’t pretend to have a solution to this challenge. But I do believe we each have a responsibility to do our part. At Paramount, we have both a unique opportunity and an obligation as stewards of one of the most iconic and respected news organizations in the world. We are challenging ourselves to do better – recognizing that we have the ability to reach a broad audience and demonstrate constructive, respectful, and bipartisan dialogue in our own work. Our mission is clear: to ensure that this global platform remains a place where people can seek the truth, gain understanding, and engage with the facts. That is our purpose.
With this in mind, I am excited to share that The Free Press is joining our Company. Since its launch just five years ago, The Free Press, under co-founder Bari Weiss’ leadership, has built one of the most dynamic news organizations in the country, one that resonates with audiences of all ages and perspectives. Guided by their core values of truth, balance, and an exchange of ideas, the team has made it their mission to help restore public trust in the news – and they are delivering real results. Their dedication to independent and fearless reporting has won the devotion of some 1.5 million readers – more than 170,000 of who are them now paid subscribers – an extraordinary achievement in such a short time.
As part of this acquisition, Bari will become editor-in-chief of CBS News. She brings a passion for reaching broad audiences through rigorous, fact-based reporting and a relentless commitment to amplifying voices from all corners of the spectrum. This, combined with her restless desire to build, believe, and innovate, makes her a perfect fit for our storied news division. In these early days working together, I’ve seen the Bari who you will get to know: a person of incredible energy, judgment, and perception for what will resonate with audiences. Working alongside our exceptionally talented colleagues at CBS News, she will help ensure that our reporting remains relevant, accessible, and – most importantly – trusted in this new era for American media.
I am confident that, in the coming years, CBS News and The Free Press will make big strides and be at the forefront of a much-needed transformation in how news is gathered, reported, and delivered. Our goal is to broaden our reach while solidifying our position as a leading voice in American journalism. Every step of the way, trust and facts will remain our guiding principles as we work every day to strengthen and deepen our connection with our audience.
As a news organization, we serve a vital role in the lives of Americans from every background and belief, and we embrace that responsibility with the utmost care, integrity, and purpose. We aim to do our part in helping rebuild a society where our shared humanity unites us, and where our differences become a source of strength rather than division.
We are here to achieve great things together. So please join me in extending a warm welcome to Bari and the entire team from The Free Press as they join us on that journey.
Let’s go!
David
From Variety US