Inside CBS News: Gloom

Reports are detailing widespread anxiety among CBS News staffers over the appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief, amid broader turmoil at the network following its acquisition by Paramount Skydance. 

The move, part of a $150 million deal to buy Weiss's digital outlet The Free Press, is seen by many employees as a risky overhaul that could undermine the network's journalistic integrity, especially as layoffs are expected to cut up to 10% of the staff (potentially hundreds of positions) in the coming weeks. The official announcement slated for Monday.

Paramount Skydance, led by CEO David Ellison (son of Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison), is acquiring The Free Press—a contrarian, opinion-heavy site founded by Weiss in 2021 after her high-profile resignation from The New York Times. The site has about 1.25 million subscribers (12% paid) and focuses on critiques of "woke" culture, pro-Israel commentary, and challenges to mainstream media narratives. The Free Press will operate independently but under the Paramount umbrella.

As editor-in-chief, Weiss will guide CBS News's editorial direction, reporting directly to Ellison rather than to CBS News President Tom Cibrowski (who will focus on production). This unusual structure bypasses traditional newsroom hierarchy and signals a push for "transparency and accountability," including an ombudsman role (previously filled by a conservative figure like Kenneth Weinstein).

The 41-year-old Weiss gained fame as a New York Times opinion editor, where she positioned herself as a "heterodox" voice criticizing left-wing excesses and "cancel culture." She resigned in 2020, citing an "illiberal environment." Critics view her as anti-woke, stridently pro-Israel, and unqualified for broadcast leadership due to her opinion-journalism roots and lack of experience managing a large news operation like CBS (thousands of global staff vs. The Free Press's 50+ employees).

Sources describe the CBS News environment as "depressing" and "doomsday-like," with employees "literally freaking out."  Key concerns include:

✔Lack of Experience: Staff question whether Weiss can handle operational decisions, like deploying crews for breaking news or maintaining 60 Minutes' storied credibility. One reporter told The Independent "Does she know how to do this stuff? Forget what her political views are."
✔Ideological Shift: Many fear a rightward tilt, given Weiss's history of opposing DEI programs, defending Israel's Gaza actions as a "war of defense," and allying with Trump-era critiques of media bias.  A former CBS executive called it "dropping a grenade" in the newsroom.

✔Layoffs and Resentment: Ellison's $2 billion cost-cutting plan exacerbates tensions, especially the irony of a $100-200 million payout to Weiss while journalists face pink slips. A correspondent lamented: "We don't have money to pay journalists, but we have money to pay Bari Weiss." Reports predict resignations, though industry-wide layoffs may deter an exodus.