Paramount is reportedly preparing to make a major statement about the future of CBS News — and it begins with a name that has already sent shockwaves through the media establishment: Bari Weiss.
According to Puck News, Paramount will formally announce on Monday its acquisition of Weiss’s media company The Free Press, a deal reportedly valued between $100 million and $200 million. As part of the agreement, Weiss will join CBS News as editor-in-chief, reporting directly to Paramount’s newly installed CEO, David Ellison. The appointment marks a bold editorial pivot for CBS News, one that could reshape the network’s tone and direction for years to come.
CBS news will now be reactionary propaganda for the oligarchs.
www.mediaite.com/media/news/p...— Alejandra Caraballo (@esqueer.net) October 2, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Weiss, a former New York Times opinion editor, gained notoriety after her high-profile resignation in 2020, where she cited a toxic culture of ideological conformity and harassment from far-left colleagues. Since then, she’s built The Free Press into a rising media brand known for challenging progressive orthodoxy on topics ranging from gender ideology to free speech and the war in Gaza. Her reporting and editorial line are often labeled “controversial,” but among a growing segment of Americans, it’s simply what’s missing in the mainstream press: skepticism, independence, and a commitment to open debate.
Dylan Byers, who broke the story, noted that Tom Cibrowski will remain as president of CBS News, despite earlier reports suggesting internal friction over a potential “editorial shift.” With Weiss stepping into the top editorial role, that shift now appears not only real, but imminent.
CBS News will now be a megaphone for the country's most vicious crusader against free speech, and the most relentless propagandist of far-right disinformation.
Cancel Paramount Plus, call every CBS advertiser until their only remaining ads are for MyPillow and Daily Stormer.
— Eli Valley (@elivalley.bsky.social) October 2, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Reaction has been swift and polarizing. Critics on the cultural left have denounced the move as a betrayal of progressive values and labeled Weiss “one of the most polarizing figures in media.” They argue her hire signals a further rightward drift — a charge that echoes the same backlash she received upon launching The Free Press. But inside CBS News, some voices are welcoming the change. One staffer told Fox News Digital, “Maybe more free thought, free expression is on the way. Nothing to fear here.”
"CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss" is the exact same deal as "Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth"
— Tom Scocca (@tomscocca.bsky.social) September 30, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Indeed, Weiss’s arrival could usher in a redefinition of what CBS News aims to be in a post-trust era, where media institutions are hemorrhaging credibility. At a time when Americans are increasingly skeptical of legacy newsrooms that appear aligned with partisan or ideological goals, Weiss brings not just a new brand, but a renewed focus on dissent, balance, and investigative rigor — albeit with an edge.
Bari Weiss, an opinion writer, running CBS News? A real newsroom? With real reporters covering real beats?
Via @oliverdarcy.bsky.social
www.status.news/p/washington...
— Bill Grueskin (@bgrueskin.bsky.social) September 30, 2025 at 10:39 PM
And in David Ellison, Paramount now has a CEO who clearly wants to make his mark. For years, Weiss was rumored to be on his radar. Now, she’s at the center of his first major move.
