Bari Weiss is nearing an agreement to take a senior editorial role at CBS News while Skydance Paramount is reportedly in talks to acquire her news site, The Free Press, according to multiple reports and people familiar with the discussions. The prospect of Weiss joining the network has prompted sharp concern among some CBS News staffers, who warned it could amount to “dropping a grenade” in the newsroom, two people briefed on internal reactions told The New York Post.
Negotiations involve potential titles such as editor in chief or co-president of the news division, sources told The Post, and the broader acquisition of The Free Press could be structured as a cash-and-stock deal. The New York Times reported the transaction could be valued at upwards of $100 million and might exceed $150 million depending on retention terms. A person close to the matter told The Post that a final agreement remained weeks away and that deal points were still being worked out.
People familiar with the discussions said Skydance Paramount chief David Ellison first approached Weiss about a role on 60 Minutes as part of what supporters describe as a plan to broaden the network’s ideological mix. Supporters of the move have portrayed Weiss, who left The New York Times in 2020 and launched The Free Press, as a provocative editorial force who could reshape coverage; critics inside the network cautioned she could also clash with established newsroom practices.
A former CBS News veteran quoted by The Post said Weiss’s addition would be destabilizing. Other staffers described themselves as “apoplectic” and “not happy at all,” expressing concern about potential shifts in coverage, including on the Israel-Hamas war, and about recent management decisions such as a new mandate for employees to return to the office five days a week next year. Some employees interpreted the return-to-office order as part of a broader plan to force attrition before planned layoffs, according to those people.
Ellison’s interest in Weiss has been public for months, according to sources who said conversations have been under way for roughly a year and drew outside attention after Ellison and Weiss were seen together at the industry Allen & Co. summit in Sun Valley in July. Reports have also said Weiss floated the idea of bringing in James Bennet, her former New York Times editorial-page editor, for a senior role should she assume leadership at CBS; Semafor reported there had been no formal discussions with Bennet.
Weiss has built a profile as a critic of what she calls ideological conformity in mainstream media and as a leading voice against antisemitism and so-called "woke" elites. She resigned from The New York Times in 2020 in a widely read open letter in which she said she had been subjected to harassment for her views and criticized the paper’s internal culture. Supporters of her potential CBS role framed her as a journalist who would bring new energy to a left-leaning newsroom; colleagues who have worked with her described her as highly driven but sometimes difficult to manage.
CBS News and 60 Minutes have faced scrutiny in recent years over coverage decisions and internal culture. As part of the federal approval of Skydance’s roughly $8.4 billion deal with Paramount, the company agreed to conditions intended to address bias concerns at the news division, including the naming of Kenneth R. Weinstein as network ombudsman. The network also reached a settlement related to a dispute over a 60 Minutes interview with then-Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, agreeing to pay $16 million to resolve a lawsuit; the network denied wrongdoing.
Coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict has been a particular flashpoint at CBS, generating criticism from multiple quarters. Past tensions included a heated interview involving a co-host of CBS Mornings and a later segment on 60 Minutes that drew rebuke from Jewish organizations for alleged one-sidedness, according to people who commented at the time.
Network staffers said that, if hired to run editorial direction, Weiss would likely butt up against entrenched practices at legacy programs such as 60 Minutes, where long-time producers and correspondents are accustomed to established workflows. Sources suggested she might be reluctant to report to the current CBS News president, Tom Cibrowski, after having run her own outlet, though other insiders said she could serve as a strong editorial counterpart to him.
Representatives for Skydance Paramount and CBS News did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A Paramount Skydance spokesperson could not be reached, according to The Post.
The outcome of the talks will be watched closely by journalists, media analysts and political observers given CBS News’s reach and the broader debate over newsroom balance and editorial independence. Any deal that combines a high-profile hire with the acquisition of an independent news outlet would raise questions about governance, editorial control and how legacy institutions manage ideological diversity.
Weiss hosts a podcast, "Honestly with Bari Weiss," and writes columns for The Free Press; it was unclear whether she would maintain an on-air or reporting role at CBS News if she takes a leadership post. Sources said negotiations remain fluid and that final terms could take weeks to resolve.
