Ex- NYT Journalist to Lead CBS Post Paramount Merger

The media conglomerate has named ex- New York Times columnist Bari Weiss to oversee CBS News, signaling the most recent initiative by current leadership to restructure operations of a major US news networks.

The company is furthermore purchasing The Free Press, the web-based platform Weiss started after her disputed separation from the New York Times, in a arrangement said to be worth $150 million.

Ms Weiss, who has questioned broadcast media for becoming too partisan, said she was excited to influence CBS, which was taken over by David Ellison recently as part of a wider merger with Paramount.

Background of the Appointee

Ms Weiss, who began her professional journey at Jewish media organizations, is known for her advocacy of Israel and her questioning of "woke culture".

From its inception as a email publication in 2021, The Free Press has gained 1.5 million readers, including over 170,000 paying members.

It has garnered notice for coverage such as a feature critical of NPR by one of its previous business editors, as well as an analysis of some images used by mainstream news outlets to showcase famine in Gaza.

Big name contributors include scholar Niall Ferguson and economist Tyler Cowen.

Strategic Plans

Mr Ellison said the hiring of Ms Weiss as editor-in-chief was part of a bigger effort to refresh content at Paramount and make CBS the "most credible name in news".

"We think the greater part of the country longs for news that is fair and accurate, and we want CBS to be their home," he said.

Further Developments at CBS

Terms of the deal were not revealed. Paramount declined to comment reports that the corporation had paid $150 million in shares and money.

Mr Ellison built his career as a Hollywood movie maker of blockbusters such as Top Gun Maverick, True Grit and World War Z.

He has said his goal is to produce coverage that is less partisan, and therefore has the potential to reach all viewers.

His acquisition of Paramount was approved by oversight bodies this summer, after the company consented to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit.

To obtain consent of the acquisition, Mr Ellison pledged to install an independent ombudsman at CBS to assess concerns of bias and vowed to oversight bodies that programming would showcase a range of opinions.

He further said CBS's long-running political show "Face the Nation" would discontinue air edited interviews.

Alliance Facts

CBS News has a collaborative arrangement with a global news organization, meaning news reporting including recorded segments can be distributed.

In a message announcing the deal, Ms Weiss said she believed in the Paramount executive and his management group.

"They are committing fully because they believe in news. Because they have bravery. Because they love this country. And because they appreciate, as we do, that America cannot thrive without shared information, common truths, and a shared perspective," she wrote.