A CBS News insider has sharply criticized internal opponents of new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, dismissing them as either overly "progressive" or "really old" and out of touch with modern media demands. The remark, shared with Fox News on Wednesday, highlights deepening tensions at the network just weeks after Weiss's controversial appointment.
Weiss, a former New York Times opinion writer and founder of The Free Press, was named CBS News editor-in-chief on October 6, 2025, following Paramount's $150 million acquisition of her outlet. The move, orchestrated by new Paramount CEO David Ellison, aims to revitalize the struggling network—CBS News loses an estimated $50 million annually—by injecting a "post-partisan" ethos focused on "truth" and "trust."
In her first-day memo, Weiss outlined 10 journalistic principles, including equal scrutiny of both political parties and a commitment to "fair, fearless, and factual" reporting. Staff backlash erupted immediately, with anonymous leaks describing the newsroom as in "doomsday" mode.
Critics invoked CBS legends like Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow, claiming they would "toss her out" for not embodying objective journalism. Former anchor Dan Rather publicly questioned the hire, while external voices like New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie called it a reward for "unethical" flattery of conservative elites.
The insider's assessment divides resisters into two groups: younger "progressive" staffers irked by Weiss's staunch pro-Israel stance and anti-"woke" commentary, and older veterans nostalgic for Cronkite-era traditions who "don’t know how to grow with the times." This echoes Weiss's own past framing of media "civil wars" between "young wokes" and "liberals." Fears of politicization intensify amid Ellison's plan to cut $2 billion in costs, including hundreds of layoffs, while reportedly funneling $100-200 million to Weiss's team—moves staff see as prioritizing ideology over journalism.