Paramount Skydance Names Bari Weiss CBS Editor

Paramount Skydance has acquired Bari Weiss’s The Free Press for about $150 million and installed Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News, with The Free Press remaining an independent brand inside Paramount. Weiss will report to Paramount CEO David Ellison and partner with CBS News president Tom Cibrowski as the company says the move is part of a plan to modernize CBS, pledging “diverse viewpoints,” a newsroom ombudsman, and new formats including debate-style programming. The Free Press — founded after Weiss’s 2020 exit from The New York Times — is described as a heterodox, anti‑“woke” outlet with roughly 1.25–1.5 million subscribers (about 170,000 paid) and estimated annual revenue in the low tens of millions, prompting questions about the $150 million valuation. Supporters say Weiss could invigorate and innovate programming, but many CBS staffers and critics worry she lacks broadcast experience, could politicize editorial decisions, and that the owner-driven move follows a costly $16 million settlement tied to a Trump-related 60 Minutes segment that has already strained newsroom relations. Insiders also warn the initiative is a risky bet amid shrinking TV audiences and planned network-wide staff cuts of around 10 percent.