Bari Weiss, 41, took over as CBS News editor in chief after billionaire David Ellison’s Skydance acquired the site for $150 million in October. As part of a broader corporate restructuring, roughly 100 CBS News employees were laid off amid departures among senior leadership and network talent.
Weiss, co-founder of Free Press, is known for her “radical centrist” views, which some see as a cultural change agent focused on “stories that are ignored or misconstrued in the service of an ideological narrative.” She has cast herself as a critic of illiberalism and groupthink in American higher education.
The new leadership has sparked concern among staff members. Some say Weiss’s sensibility is shaping editorial operations, while others have recoiled at her suggestions. A recent article on Sanae Takaichi, the first female prime minister of Japan, was criticized for being too lighthearted and BuzzFeed-like.
Weiss’s connections have helped secure CBS interviews with prominent figures like Benjamin Netanyahu, Hillary Clinton, and Condoleezza Rice. However, some employees are worried that the network is straying from its traditional reporting standards in favor of a more balanced and fact-based approach.
A shake-up might be what billionaire David Ellison had in mind by hiring Weiss, an opinion journalist with no experience running a large newsroom. The move has raised questions about how much Free Press will influence CBS News’ editorial direction.
While some employees have welcomed new ideas, others say the magic of CBS News is gone. Layoffs and retoolings are commonplace in media consolidation, but for some, the network’s loss of its traditional reporting standards feels irreparable.
Despite this, dedicated journalists remain committed to producing high-quality work. As one staffer put it, “I think people love what CBS used to be.”
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/11/07/bari-weiss-cbs-news-remake