Bari Weiss, the newly appointed editor-in-chief of CBS News, has made several key hires from tech and publishing as part of a broader shakeup at the network.
The hires include Sam Siegel as chief operating officer (previously COO/CFO at Zoomin) and Sophie Efthimiatou as senior vice president of talent and brand strategy (from Substack). Other notable additions feature contributors such as Elliot Ackerman (former Marine), Casey Lewis (cultural analyst), Clare de Boer (chef and food writer), and H.R. McMaster (former national security advisor, already a contributor at The Free Press).
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| Bari Weiss |
Recent programming shifts include naming Tony Dokoupil (from CBS Mornings) as the new anchor of CBS Evening News starting in January 2026, replacing departing co-anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois amid emotional farewells. Weiss has also launched debate-style town halls, such as the low-rated "Things That Matter" series with Erika Kirk (widow of Charlie Kirk) and upcoming events featuring figures like JD Vance.
The shakeup has sparked controversy, with critics accusing Weiss of steering CBS toward centrist or right-leaning perspectives (including a strong pro-Israel stance), while supporters view it as a necessary revitalization for a struggling network facing declining ratings and bias accusations.