Paramount to buy the Free Press, name Bari Weiss CBS News head

By Hannah Miller, Bloomberg

Paramount Skydance Corp. is poised to buy the startup news outlet the Free Press and name its founder, journalist Bari Weiss, as the editor-in-chief of CBS News, according to people familiar with the matter.

The role will allow Weiss to guide the editorial direction of a news organization whose programs include 60 Minutes and CBS News Sunday Morning. Founded in 1927, CBS News has been home to industry legends such as Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow.

Weiss will report directly to Paramount Chief Executive Officer David Ellison, according to the people familiar, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive information. Terms of the sale weren’t immediately known. The New York Times reported that the acquisition would value the Free Press at around $150 million. Paramount and the Free Press didn’t respond to requests for comment.

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Ellison, the founder of Skydance Media and son of Oracle Corp. billionaire Larry Ellison, oversees a media empire that also includes MTV and Nickelodeon, as well as the company’s namesake Hollywood movie studio, following his takeover of Paramount in August.

CBS has come under criticism from the Trump administration, including a now-settled suit by the president accusing the news division of favoring Kamala Harris in the last election.

Federal regulators approved Ellison’s takeover of Paramount after the new management agreed to ensure programming would embody a diversity of viewpoints from across the political and ideological spectrum. The company named an ombudsman to monitor complaints of news bias.

Weiss has worked at both the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. She left the Times in July 2020, criticizing management for not defending her against alleged bullying by colleagues. She accused her former employer of “unlawful discrimination, hostile work environment, and constructive discharge“ and “caving to the whims of critics on Twitter.

In an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan she described herself as a “left-leaning centrist.” Publications including Business Insider and the Times of Israel have described her as a conservative.

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