Left-wing journalists and commentators are declaring that they are in “hell” after a report indicated that CBS News may soon be hiring Bari Weiss, the founder of the pro-Israel and anti-woke outlet the Free Press, for a senior role shaping news coverage at the once-storied news organization. The furor broke out late Wednesday when Puck’s Dylan Byers reported that Ms. Weiss and the chief executive, David Ellison, of CBS’s parent company, Skydance, have reached an agreement “in principle” for Skydance to buy the Free Press and install Ms. Weiss in a senior position at CBS News, which has long been dogged by allegations of far-left and anti-Israel bias.After the Puck report, left-wing journalists and anti-Israel activists expressed outrage at the idea of CBS News reporting to Ms. Weiss due to her pro-Israel views.A prominent American civil liberties lawyer, Jenin Younes, wrote in a since-deleted post, “CBS literally hires modern day Goebbels to manage its editorial output.”Bari Weiss appears on ‘Real Time With Bill Maher.’ Screenshot via YouTubeThe comparison sparked controversy online. A conservative writer, Brad Slager, wrote, “You tried to declare that a Jewish woman who wrote a book on antisemitism is a ‘Nazi’. It is all the reason to ignore your viewpoints.” Ms. Younes later wrote a toned-down post that reads, “In case you needed more reasons to ignore mainstream media outlets like CBS.”Ms. Younes also posted on Thursday that she was not sorry for the Goebbels post, writing, “Weiss has made it her life’s work to defend Israel’s actions… I do not apologize.”Some users offered more mild criticism of the reported deal. A left-wing commentator with the X handle “This Barbara” wrote, “Wait, what? Bari Weiss is going to run CBS News? We’re in hell.”Larry Ellison financed the purchase of Paramount Global for his only son, David. Getty ImagesThe media reporter Lachlan Cartwright reported on Thursday night in his “Breaker” newsletter that CBS News staff were in “panic” over the prospect of Ms. Weiss becoming their boss. “The question then becomes what role Weiss will play at CBS News, and it’s got many journalists there on edge. What staffers most fear is that Weiss will take on a management role and that her notoriously erratic management style will derail CBS News’s highly respected reputation,” he wrote.Mr. Byers reports that the offer for the Free Press is “expected to be well above the site’s most recent $100 million valuation,” but also “well below” $200 million, which was reported by the Financial Times. Whatever the amount, Mr. Byers says it will “land Weiss a king’s ransom just a little over five years after her dramatic departure” from the New York Times. Ms. Weiss resigned in 2020 from a relatively junior editing role at the Times’s opinion section, writing in an explosive, widely read resignation letter that she’d been bullied for championing right-of-center writers.Mr. Byers’s report stressed that the deal is not final, but one source told him it is “on the 1-yard line.”Reports have speculated about what kind of role Ms. Weiss would have at CBS News. Mr. Byers writes that she would be “guiding the editorial direction of the division.” Another media-focused outlet, the Wrap, reported that Ms. Weiss would “run CBS News.” She has no experience in managing a large television news organization, but network news divisions over the years have hired many inexperienced “print” executives for senior roles. In almost all these cases, the appointments are ultimately unsuccessful. President Trump denounces CBS News in a conversation with Dan Bongino. RumbleCBS News insiders have also been leaking their displeasure to journalists. A far-left media reporter, Oliver Darcy, wrote in his “Status” newsletter that “one person familiar with the mood” at CBS said the staff is “Not happy AT ALL.”“Another said bluntly that the Weiss hire would set off a firestorm inside the newsroom, especially over coverage of Israel and Gaza, warning that some employees would be ‘apoplectic’ at the idea of taking editorial direction from her,” Mr. Darcy wrote.He noted that “resentment from CBS News staffers” will “only intensify” when Paramount announces its widely expected layoffs while Skydance pays millions of dollars for the Free Press. CBS News, which has been deeply troubled since the 1980s, has a long history of undermining, ignoring, and waiting out outsider executives installed to effect change. Various efforts to re-energize CBS News over the years have invariably failed, and persistent cutbacks have led to an entrenched culture of decay and grievance.CBS News’s Margaret Brennan is seen during her recent confrontation with Secretary Marco Rubio. Paramount GlobalMr. Darcy suggested the move to hire Ms. Weiss is not “about financial prudence” but is “about politics,” and Mr. Ellison is trying to “send a signal to the anti-mainstream media crowd that CBS News is being reshaped.” Mr. Ellison and Skydance executives have committed in writing to the FCC that CBS, under their watch, will practice unbiased journalism. They committed to hiring an ombudsman to evaluate complaints of bias at the network. The plan to hire Ms. Weiss has divided media reporters. Mr. Darcy speculates that the vision of turning CBS News into a more centrist outlet will fail to win over conservatives who watch Fox News and want to see the Tiffany Network’s liberal talent “fired and sent home packing, all while celebrating by watching Sean Hannity.”However, Mr. Byers, who is largely supportive of media CEOs, presents a more charitable view of the move as he notes that CBS News is reportedly losing money and says bringing in Ms. Weiss might make the network more “interesting” and help its ratings. CBS News declined to comment.
