Free Press Moves Mainstream
CBS News Is About To Get A Radical Pro-Israel Makeover
Paramount Global, now led by Skydance Media, has acquired Bari Weiss’s The Free Press for $150 million, appointing Weiss as CBS News editor-in-chief. The move sparks debate over potential pro-Israel bias, editorial shifts, and the future of legacy media amid ongoing Middle East conflicts.
Paramount Global, now under the leadership of Skydance Media following a recent merger, announced that it has acquired The Free Press, an independent news and commentary website founded by Bari Weiss in 2021.
As part of the deal, Weiss has been appointed editor-in-chief of CBS News, the news division of CBS, which is owned by Paramount.
The acquisition was reportedly valued at $150 million, signaling a strategic move to integrate The Free Press's operations with CBS News to potentially expand its digital presence and audience.
This shake-up comes amid broader changes at Paramount, with Skydance CEO David Ellison emphasizing a focus on innovative journalism and rebuilding trust in media. Weiss, a former New York Times opinion editor who left the paper in 2020 citing ideological differences, has built The Free Press into a subscription-based platform known for its contrarian takes on culture, politics, and free speech issues.
Her new role at CBS News is expected to usher in editorial shifts, though specifics on how The Free Press will merge with CBS's operations remain limited in initial announcements.
Public reactions on X (formerly Twitter) have been mixed, with some posts highlighting controversy around Weiss's pro-Israel stance and ties to billionaire backers.
Discussions suggest concerns over potential biases in CBS News coverage, particularly on Middle East topics, but also optimism from supporters about injecting fresh perspectives into legacy media.
Overall, this acquisition marks a notable pivot for CBS News in an evolving media landscape.The selection of Bari Weiss, who is openly pro-Israel and has frequently defended Israeli policies in her writings and at The Free Press, is particularly relevant given the current geopolitical climate, including ongoing conflicts in the Middle East such as the Israel-Hamas war.
Critics argue that her strong advocacy, evident in pieces that have framed pro-Palestinian activism critically and supported dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion programs she views as threatening to Jewish interests, could introduce biases into CBS News' reporting, potentially prioritizing pro-Israel narratives over balanced coverage.
This concern is amplified by reports that Weiss's stance appealed directly to Skydance CEO David Ellison, whose father, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, is a prominent pro-Israel donor; the appointment is seen by some as a strategic alignment with influential tech and media figures who share similar views, potentially reshaping CBS's editorial independence on sensitive international issues.
Weiss's history of criticizing mainstream media for perceived left-leaning biases, combined with her platform's promotion of "heterodox" journalism, suggests CBS may be aiming to counter accusations of institutional groupthink and appeal to audiences disillusioned with traditional outlets.
However, internal reactions at CBS indicate unease, with staff reportedly "freaking out" over fears of lowered editorial standards, increased censorship of dissenting views, and a tilt toward conservative or "Zionist perspectives" that could alienate diverse viewers or exacerbate divisions in coverage of global events. Or they just enjoy writing for a news outlet that spreads and incites Jew hatred, in which case they could work pretty much anywhere these days.