Bari Weiss, the newly appointed editor-in-chief of CBS News hired by CEO David Ellison to shake up the network, has launched a new series of town halls and debates titled "Things That Matter" — a joint venture between CBS News and her media company, The Free Press.
The series, billed as “The people, conversations, and debates shaping America,” will tackle major issues including immigration, capitalism, public health, criminal justice, foreign policy, artificial intelligence, and the state of politics.
Upcoming guests include Vice President J.D. Vance and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Planned debate topics include “Gen Z and the American Dream,” “God and Meaning,” and “The Sexual Revolution.” Specific air dates and locations — described only as “held across the country” — were not announced.
The "Things That Matter" series builds on the success of CBS News’ recent special “Town Hall With Erika Kirk,” hosted by Weiss, and marks the first major collaboration since Paramount acquired The Free Press for $150 million.
This road-based approach aligns with broader changes at CBS News under Weiss. New "Evening News" anchor Tony Dokoupil will also travel the country in January, visiting 10 cities in 10 days — Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, San Francisco, Detroit, Minneapolis, Chicago, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh — for a series called “Live in America” to “share the most urgent, important stories with Americans, rather than talking to them.”