Paramount Hires Pro-Israel Editor Bari Weiss To Reform CBS News After ‘Biased and Misguided’ ‘60 Minutes’ Gaza Coverage

Paramount announced on Monday that it is acquiring the Free Press in a $150 million deal, and Bari Weiss, its CEO and founder, will be joining CBS News as editor-in-chief.The former New York Times opinion columnist — a strong supporter of Israel — is set to shake up the troubled news division, which has been rocked by accusations of anti-Israel bias.“Bari is a proven champion of independent, principled journalism, and I am confident her entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision will invigorate CBS News,” the chairman and CEO of Paramount, David Ellison, said in a release announcing the appointment of Ms. Weiss.Mr. Ellison is the son of Larry Ellison, the world’s first or second richest man, depending on the week. He and his father, who financially backed his acquisition of Paramount, are both strong supporters of Israel, as was Paramount’s previous owner, Shari Redstone, who publicly complained that she couldn’t get CBS News’s anti-Israel bias under control.Larry Ellison financed the purchase of Paramount Global for his only son, David. Getty ImagesAs editor-in-chief of CBS News, Ms. Weiss — an outspoken supporter of Israel who has no experience in traditional television news — will be in charge of shaping editorial priorities and will “champion core values across platforms.” CBS News has been accused for decades of a pronounced liberal bias that goes well beyond opposition to Israel, and its new corporate owners have promised to clean up the news division.“We want CBS to speak to that 70 percent of the audience that would really define themselves at center-left to center-right,” Mr. Ellison said.CBS News, which has been in a long spiral of secular decline since the 1980s, has for the last 40 years proven notoriously resistant to reform and agile at undermining outsiders. “60 Minutes” has consistently resisted any meaningful oversight, and has proven very difficult to control and effectively does what it wants.Ms. Weiss will partner with CBS News’s president, Tom Cibrowski, who reports to Paramount’s chairman of TV media, George Cheeks. The company said Ms. Weiss would report directly to Mr. Ellison. This means Mr. Cibrowski does not report to Ms. Weiss. The powerful executive producer of “60 Minutes,” Tanya Simon, also does not report to Ms. Weiss.Tony Dokoupil of ‘CBS Mornings’ interviews Ta-Nehisi Coates. CBS News“I want to hear from you about what’s working, what isn’t, and your thoughts on how we can make CBS News the most trusted news organization in America and the world,” Ms. Weiss wrote in a letter to the staff.Ms. Weiss listed a series of goals, including creating journalism that is “fair, fearless, and factual.”“I am profoundly honored to join you-and can’t wait to get started,” her letter continued.Ms. Weiss’s presence is expected to create tension with the staff at “60 Minutes” which has been accused of airing anti-Israeli segments. In January, “60 Minutes” aired a piece on state department dissidents who opposed U.S. support for Israel that the American Jewish Committee called “biased and misguided.” Later in the year, the program was criticized for an interview with a freed Israeli-American hostage during which “60 Minutes” correspondent Leslie Stahl asked him if his captors starved him because they themselves were low on food.Leslie Stahl is under fire for asking a ‘ridiculous’ question of freed American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel. CBS NewsAnd on October 7, 2024, the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, CBS News’s then executive editor reprimanded — during the news division’s morning meeting — “CBS Mornings” host Tony Dokoupil for challenging the virulently anti-Israel writer Ta-Nehisi Coates on air. A recording of that reprimand was leaked to the Free Press, as was internal CBS News standards guidance not to refer to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to be careful about referring to Hamas as a terrorist organization.The appointment of Ms. Weiss comes as more than 10 percent of the staff at the news division could be on the chopping block, according to industry site Breaker.“Everyone is concerned,” an unnamed source, described as senior, told the Observer.One former newsroom veteran told the New York Post that Ms. Weiss’s hiring “would be like dropping a grenade” in the newsroom.Bari Weiss appears on ‘Real Time With Bill Maher.’ Screenshot via YouTubeLiberal political consultant Chris Sosa claims Ms. Weiss’s hiring will be “catastrophic” for CBS.“Right-wing actor Bari Weiss has no business leading any news organization, especially one that strives for objectivity,” Mr. Sosa wrote on X. “As a former journalist, I feel for all the seasoned professionals at CBS News.”There were already grumblings among the staff over last month’s hiring of a former president and CEO, Kenneth Weinstein, of a conservative think tank, the Hudson Institute, to serve as the network’s ombudsman and “review editorial questions and concerns” at the troubled broadcaster.Paramount said on July 1 that it agreed to pay $16 million to Mr. Trump’s future presidential library to settle his lawsuit that claimed that producers at “60 Minutes” improperly edited an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris to make her sound coherent. The settlement did not include an apology and was for far less than the $20 billion the president was seeking.Tanya Simon, executive producer of ’60 Minutes’ and daughter of CBS News legend Bob Simon. CBS NewsPrior to getting the FCC’s permission to acquire Paramount, Mr. Ellison’s company, Skydance, had to commit in writing that CBS would appoint the ombudsman and provide unbiased news coverage.Puck News has also noted that Ms. Weiss could see an expanded role in the months ahead. Mr. Ellison is also reportedly pursuing Warner Bros. Discovery — which is the parent company of CNN. Puck writer Dylan Byers says her possible control over the cable news outlet has amplified anxiety.

Paramount Hires Pro-Israel Editor Bari Weiss To Reform CBS News After ‘Biased and Misguided’ ‘60 Minutes’ Gaza Coverage

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