In a move that has sent ripples through the media industry, CBS News is reportedly set to announce the appointment of Bari Weiss as its new editor-in-chief.
Weiss, a former opinion columnist for The New York Times, is known for her conservative leanings, despite self-identifying as a "radical centrist."
According to Straight Arrow News, Weiss was initially hired by The Times in 2017 to diversify its editorial voices following President Donald Trump's first election. However, she resigned in 2020, alleging that she had been "bullied" by her liberal colleagues.
Following her departure from The Times, Weiss launched her own newsletter on Substack, which eventually evolved into The Free Press, a new media company. The Free Press quickly rose to prominence, becoming Substack's top-selling outlet in the U.S. politics category.
Weiss, a 41-year-old gay woman married to former New York Times employee Nellie Bowles, is a vocal supporter of Israel and a frequent critic of mainstream media. While she aligns with conservatives on some issues, she also identifies as center-left and supports pro-choice and pro-gun control policies.
Despite her lack of experience in a television newsroom, Weiss will now helm a nearly century-old broadcast network. This decision has sparked a debate among media professionals.
"There are a lot of opinion writers out there who I think would be great editors, because they're curious about the truth," said Susan Seager, founder of the Press Freedom Project. "But I feel that she's an ideologue and she's not going to be interested in the truth of things. She's got a point to make."
Seager further expressed her concerns about Weiss's lack of journalistic experience, stating, "She's an opinion writer and I just think it's really sad."
The impact of Weiss's editorial leadership on CBS News remains uncertain. Many conservatives perceive the network as leaning left, a sentiment echoed by media bias rating company AllSides, which rates CBS News as leaning 1.5 degrees to the left. For comparison, Fox News is rated as leaning 4.0 degrees to the right by the same company.
An executive producer at a CBS-owned station, who requested anonymity due to fear of career reprisal, emphasized the importance of truth in journalism. "I've always strived for telling the truth in the proper context and asking the tough questions to those in power," they said. "We need to be allowed to do that on every level of CBS News, no matter which political party is in charge."
The appointment of Weiss has elicited mixed reactions. Some progressives fear that criticism of Weiss, who is Jewish and a supporter of Israel, could fuel antisemitism. Others, like Victor Pickard, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, worry about the implications for CBS's news coverage.
"I hope I'm wrong, but this appointment suggests that CBS is moving away from reporting actual news and moving towards amplifying right-leaning commentary," Pickard said.
CBS News, a division of Paramount Skydance, has been making headlines throughout 2025. The company, now owned by David Ellison, son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, has taken several steps to address allegations of liberal bias from the Trump administration.
These measures included settling a lawsuit with Trump over a 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris and cancelling "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," a program known for its criticism of the President.
As CBS News undergoes these significant changes, the media industry watches with bated breath. The appointment of Weiss, a conservative voice in a traditionally left-leaning network, could signal a shift in the network's editorial direction.
Only time will tell how this change will impact the network's coverage and its relationship with its audience.
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