Ex- New York Times Journalist Appointed to Head CBS Post Paramount Merger
The media conglomerate has appointed ex- New York Times commentator Bari Weiss to oversee CBS News, marking the most recent initiative by current leadership to reshape workings of a major US news organisations.
The company is also purchasing The Free Press, the online publication Weiss founded after her contentious departure from the New York Times, in a agreement reported to be worth $150 million.
Ms Weiss, who has challenged television news for becoming excessively biased, said she was enthusiastic to influence CBS, which was taken over by David Ellison recently as part of a broader merger with Paramount.
Profile of the Executive
Ms Weiss, who commenced her work at Jewish media organizations, is noted for her support of Israel and her criticism of "call-out culture".
From its inception as a digital bulletin in 2021, The Free Press has attracted 1.5 million followers, including in excess of 170,000 paying members.
It has garnered notice for articles such as a article critical of NPR by one of its previous business editors, as well as an examination of some images used by mainstream news outlets to depict famine in Gaza.
Notable writers include academic Niall Ferguson and economic thinker Tyler Cowen.
Vision for CBS
Mr Ellison said the hiring of Ms Weiss as top editorial position was part of a larger effort to update content at Paramount and make CBS the "most-trusted name in news".
"We believe the bulk of the country longs for news that is even-handed and truthful, and we want CBS to be their home," he said.
Additional Shifts at CBS
Terms of the arrangement were not disclosed. Paramount declined to comment accounts that the company had paid $150 million in equity and currency.
Mr Ellison built his career as a Hollywood movie maker of major films such as Top Gun Maverick, True Grit and World War Z.
He has said his objective is to produce coverage that is less partisan, and therefore has the potential to engage all audiences.
His takeover of Paramount was cleared by government authorities this summer, after the company committed to pay $16 million to conclude a lawsuit.
To secure clearance of the acquisition, Mr Ellison pledged to install an impartial arbitrator at CBS to assess concerns of partiality and promised to oversight bodies that coverage would include a variety of view points.
He further said CBS's veteran political show "Face the Nation" would discontinue air edited interviews.
Partnership Details
CBS News has a collaborative arrangement with an international broadcaster, meaning news reporting including visual material can be distributed.
In a note declaring the arrangement, Ms Weiss said she trusted in the Paramount boss and his executive staff.
"They are doubling down because they believe in news. Because they have courage. Because they value this country. And because they appreciate, as we do, that America cannot succeed without shared information, common truths, and a unified worldview," she wrote.
