CBS News is on the verge of a seismic shift. Reports say Bari Weiss, the outspoken founder of the Free Press and longtime critic of progressive groupthink, is set to become editor in chief of the network — a move that has liberals in an absolute frenzy.
The deal, expected to be announced Monday, comes as Paramount Skydance finalizes its $150 million acquisition of Weiss’ Free Press. Sources told both the New York Times and the New York Post that the contract is nearly locked. If confirmed, Weiss would be in charge of one of America’s most influential outlets — home to 60 Minutes and once the crown jewel of establishment news.
For years, conservatives have complained about corporate media bias. Now, with President Donald Trump back in the White House and regulatory battles over free speech raging, the prospect of Weiss steering CBS has rattled progressives.
“This is catastrophic,” one Democratic strategist fumed online. “Bari Weiss has no business leading a news organization, especially one that claims to be objective.”
Journalist Mehdi Hasan also jumped into the fray, blasting Weiss as “ideologically biased and polarizing.” Meanwhile, Pod Save America host Tommy Vietor whined that “Murdochs and Trump supporters will own TikTok… Bari Weiss will run CBS News… Look at all the liberal media bias!”
To many conservatives, the reaction looks less like concern for “objectivity” and more like panic over losing control.
“Liberals are mad because they no longer get to dominate the narrative unchallenged,” said Republican media strategist Mark Conrad. “Bari Weiss has stood up to cancel culture before, and she’ll do it again at CBS.”
The hire caps a tumultuous year for Paramount. The company merged with Skydance in an $8.4 billion deal, canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after sinking ratings, and settled a $16 million lawsuit with President Trump after executives admitted to editorial interference.
Meanwhile, Americans are more distrustful of media than ever. A 2024 Gallup poll found that just 27% of Republicans trusted national news outlets, down from 36% in 2020. With the Biden years exposing what many saw as coordinated censorship between Big Tech, Democrats, and corporate media, conservatives argue it’s past time for change.
“This isn’t about left or right,” Weiss once told an audience in Washington alongside Senator Ted Cruz. “It’s about whether journalism still has the courage to tell the truth, even when it’s unpopular.”
At 41, Weiss brings heavyweight experience. She wrote for The Wall Street Journal, helped reshape Tablet magazine, and joined The New York Times in 2017 — before quitting in 2020 after what she described as a “civil war inside the paper” over liberal orthodoxy.
Her 2021 launch of the Free Press gave a platform to journalists who refused to bend to the culture wars. In just a few years, the outlet has built a reputation for reporting that challenged both the left’s censorship campaigns and the corporate right’s compromises.
“She’s fearless,” said Free Press contributor and former Times colleague Nellie Bowles. “Bari isn’t afraid of angry mobs on Twitter. She’s interested in truth. That’s rare today.”
If confirmed, Weiss will become one of the most powerful media executives in America — and progressives know it. Expect more screaming from the same crowd that demanded Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, cheered censorship of conservative voices on social media, and insisted Colbert’s “resistance comedy” was journalism.
But Weiss’ supporters see it differently. “This is the first time in decades a major broadcast network might actually push back on groupthink,” said political commentator Kurt Schlichter. “Liberals are panicking because they know their monopoly is over.”
The deal could be finalized Monday. If so, CBS News may soon have an editor in chief who refuses to bow to the mob — and the American media landscape may never look the same again.
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As the big 3 networks continue to loose audiences, and money, while the public switches over to internet sources and cable, they will do whatever they can to recover viewers, viewers lost due to their biased progressive programming. The public, in general, is hungry for entertainment and news devoid of political commentary. So, possibly the hiring of staff such as Weiss might bring back some viewers, but for many, it’s too little too late and they’ll never return.