Paramount acquired Free Press, a four-year digital news platform, and will make its controversial co-founder of Bari Weiss editor of the editor-in-chief of CBS News, the company said on Monday.
The official announcement was made after several months of speculation on the transaction and the loud role of Weiss in the news department. The 41 -year -old Weiss will report to the main executive director of David Ellison, who personally looked after the former New York Times journalist.
The Free Press and CBS News Union will become one of the closest laboratory experiments in the era of modern media. Weiss has no experience on television or in the performance of an editorial operation on the scale of CBS News, which has more than 1000 employees.
“We are glad to welcome Bari and the free press in Paramount and CBS News. Bari is a proven champion of independent, fundamental journalism, and I am sure that her entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision will arouse CBS News, ”the Allison statement said. “This step is part of a larger vision of Paramount to modernize content and how it connects – directly and passionately – with an audience around the world.”
Paramount said that Weiss “will“ form editorial politicians, the championship of the main values between the platforms and introduce innovations in how the organization reports and reports the news. ”
Paramount pays about $ 150 million in cash and shares for Free Press, an angry, jumping operation, which attracted attention with the help of opinions and podcasts with a strong point of view. His favorite goals are excesses of progressive left and suppliers of the so -called policy “waking up”.
CBS News is a traditional network of a mass network with the proud heritage of journalistic superiority and the house of popular franchises 60 minutes and CBS on Sunday morning.
But the unit struggled to cope with changes in the habits of the audience caused by streaming videos and social networks.
The Weiss Provocator, which, as you know, resigned due to its loud role in the section “The opinion of the New York Times” in 2020, referring to the mockery of her colleagues and the hostile working environment.
Weiss recognized the legacy of the unit in a note sent to CBS News to employees after an announcement of its appointment.
“Growing up, CBS was a deep family tradition,” Weiss said. “Whenever I hear TIC, TIK, TIC or this fanfara pipe, she sends me right to our den in Pittsburgh. The opportunity to rely on this legacy – and update it in an era, which so desperately needs it – is an unusual privilege. ”
Weiss also rises at a time when President Trump threatened with news transactions with trial and regulatory actions, such as licenses for television of the station about the fact that, in his opinion, it is an unfair criticism of his and his administration. Paramount agreed to pay $ 16 million In order to regulate Trump’s claim, which claims that the “60 minutes” interview with Kamal Harris was deceptively edited to help her presidential election campaign of 2024 against him.
CBS News never had a leader with the main title editor before calling Weis for this role. He still has a president – Tom Chibruski – The former executive director of ABC News, hired earlier this year, who will remain in his role and continue to report to the Paramout TV George Cheeks.
In her note, Weiss told her employees that her goal in the coming weeks is to find out: “What works and what is not, and your thoughts about how we can make CBS News the most reliable news organization in America and all over the world. I will approach him like any reporter – with an open mind, a new laptop and an urgent term. ”
Free Press, which has about 170,000 paid subscribers, will continue as its own independent brand with its own podcasts and business of living events.
