The Free Press founder, Bari Weiss, has been named Editor-in-Chief of CBS News by Paramount Skydance Corporation following its acquisition of the subscription media company, placing her in charge of the newsgathering direction of CBS News Radio.
Weiss, a former New York Times opinion writer and Wall Street Journal editor, launched The Free Press in 2021 in the face of what she calls “woke” culture in mainstream news. The outlet will continue to produce reporting, podcasts, and events for its subscriber base.
Weiss will report directly to Paramount Skydance Chairman and CEO David Ellison. She will collaborate with CBS News President Tom Cibrowski, who reports to Paramount Chair of TV Media George Cheeks, in what the company describes as a unified editorial structure across broadcast, streaming, digital, audio, and social platforms.
The FCC approved Skydance’s $8 billion acquisition of Paramount Global in July, transferring all associated broadcast licenses and clearing the way for new ownership of CBS and its stations. The 2-1 party-line vote drew sharp criticism from Democrats, including Commissioner Anna Gómez, who called the decision a threat to press freedom and editorial independence.
CBS News Radio content is heard on more than 700 stations in the US, distributed through a deal with Skyview Networks that was started in 2018 and last renewed in 2023.
Ellison said, “We are thrilled to welcome Bari and The Free Press to Paramount and CBS News. Bari is a proven champion of independent, principled journalism, and I am confident her entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision will invigorate CBS News. This move is part of Paramount’s bigger vision to modernize content and the way it connects – directly and passionately – to audiences around the world.”
He continued, “We believe the majority of the country longs for news that is balanced and fact-based, and we want CBS to be their home.”
