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Bari Weiss announced on Monday that she is officially editor-in-chief of CBS News and her outlet The Free Press is joining Paramount.
“We’re a news organization, so I’ll get right to it: This morning, The Free Press is joining Paramount,” Weiss wrote in an email to readers.
“This move is a testament to many things: The Free Press team; the vision of Paramount’s new leaders; the luck of starting an independent media company at the right moment; and the courage of my colleagues to leave behind old worlds to build a new one,” she continued. “But, above all, it’s a testament to you, our subscribers.”
Weiss, who famously quit The New York Times in 2020 after detailing bullying by her colleagues, went on to launch the “Common Sense” newsletter in 2021 before rebranding it as The Free Press and expanding it into a full-fledged media company in 2022. Weiss and The Free Press have long been rumored to be coveted by Paramount’s new owner David Ellison, and the pact is now official.
Bari Weiss speaks onstage during Book Club Event With Peggy Noonan on November 19, 2024, in New York City. (Noam Galai/Getty Images for The Free Press)
The purchase price for The Free Press was $150 million in cash and Paramount stock, according to reports.
Weiss noted that The Free Press aimed to “marry the quality of the old world to the freedom of the new,” and that her goal is to “seek the truth and tell it plainly” while treating readers “like adults capable of making their own choices.”
“So many people told us this was no longer possible. That the premise of a media company built on trust rather than partisanship was, at best, a relic from the past—and, at worst, a fantasy that never was. That the internet killed journalism. That there simply weren’t enough Americans out there in search of media driven by honesty, independence, and integrity,” Weiss wrote. “You proved them wrong. You demonstrated that there’s a market for honest journalism. And you’ve given us a mandate to pursue that mission from an even bigger platform.”
Weiss said she would continue to lead The Free Press as CEO and editor-in-chief but has more on her plate.
“As of today, I am editor-in-chief of CBS News, working with new colleagues on the programs that have impacted American culture for generations — shows like ‘60 Minutes’ and ‘Sunday Morning’ — and shaping how millions of Americans read, listen, watch, and, most importantly, understand the news in the 21st century,” Weiss wrote.
Weiss joins CBS at a time of severe tumult in the industry and the network itself, which has weathered controversies around “60 Minutes” and the surprising cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
Weiss, who built her brand around the notion that legacy outlets suffer from liberal groupthink, is sure to shake things up. Liberals have been incensed at the idea of Weiss being elevated to such a powerful position at CBS News. She has largely been ostracized by the cultural left for The Free Press’ reporting that challenges DEI, gender ideology and media narratives against Israel in its ongoing war with Hamas.
This is a developing story, more to come.
