‘Relief’ at CNN After Report Indicates Bari Weiss Will Not Have a Role at the Network

Staffers at CNN are breathing “sighs of relief” that the editor-in-chief of CBS News, Bari Weiss, will reportedly not oversee the cable network once the merger between its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Paramount Skydance is finalized. Despite the hand-wringing that Ms. Weiss, who founded the pro-Israel outlet the Free Press, would be tasked with overseeing CNN, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the chief executive of Paramount Skydance, David Ellison, has asked the head of the networks, Mark Thompson, to stay on. The negotiations are ongoing, and Mr. Thompson is reportedly pushing for assurances regarding CNN’s autonomy. Sources “familiar with the matter” told the paper that Ms. Weiss is not expected to have a role at CNN.A media columnist at Zeteo, Justin Baragona, wrote on X that he had heard “lots of sighs of relief from CNN folks over this report.” However, he said that some are “wary” and think it is an example of Mr. Ellison “tossing out a bunch of stuff so folks at CNN don’t flip out.”With the WBD deal set to close in the coming days — after Paramount Skydance reached a settlement to resolve a lawsuit brought by California and 11 other states — there have been concerns that Mr. Ellison, who has been seen as aligned with President Trump, would try to shift the network’s editorial voice to the right. On Wednesday, California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, said that he is “concerned” about CNN despite a provision of the settlement that required Paramount to create a panel to protect the network’s editorial independence.Last year, Mr. Ellison put Ms. Weiss in charge of CBS News. Many media reports at the time indicated that she was tasked with addressing complaints of a left-wing, anti-Israel bias at the network. Since taking over at the Tiffany Network, she has overseen the revamp of the “CBS Evening News” and “60 Minutes.” The overhaul of “60 Minutes” was initially met with dire predictions as three of the program’s correspondents — Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega, and Scott Pelley — along with its executive producer, Tanya Simon, and other staffers were fired last spring. However, when the new season of “60 Minutes” premiered last month, media critics said the show largely resembled previous iterations.The report about Mr. Ellison’s negotiations with Mr. Thompson came a day after it was announced that the mind behind the blockbuster “Barbie” movie, Ynon Kreiz, is set to become the co-chief executive officer of the combined Paramount Skydance – WBD company. On Wednesday, it was announced that Tel Aviv-born Mr. Kreiz was stepping down as CEO of toymaker Mattel, and there was speculation that he was in negotiations to join Paramount Skydance. Hours later, the chief executive of Paramount Skydance, David Ellison, confirmed speculation that Mr. Kreiz would join the company.“Bringing together Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery to create a next-generation global media company is a transformational moment for our industry,” Mr. Ellison said. “Leading it takes a rare combination of strategic vision, operational depth, and experience running a public company at the highest levels of media. Ynon brings all three.”Mr. Kreiz has entertainment industry experience. He was the co-founder of kids’ programming channel, Fox Kids Europe NV, which was sold to Disney in 2001. And before taking the CEO gig at Mattel, he was the head of a multi-channel network on YouTube, Maker Studios, which was acquired by Disney in 2014 for roughly $500 million. At Mattel, he was the driving force behind the blockbuster 2023 “Barbie” movie, which was produced by WBD and became the studio’s highest-grossing film. Mr. Kreiz has since been working on developing a Hot Wheels movie. However, his tenure at the toymaker has faced some criticism as the sales have stagnated since 2023. In 2025, he expressed concerns about the impact President Trump’s tariffs would have on costs, saying the company would have to raise prices. The company has gone through several rounds of layoffs, and last March said it was laying off another 65 employees. And in August, the company fell short of analysts’ second-quarter profit estimates. Despite the headwinds facing Mattel, Mr. Kreiz’s hiring has been seen as a move that will provide a steady hand for the business side of Paramount and WBD as the two major studios merge as Mr. Ellison is expected to focus on the direction of the company.

‘Relief’ at CNN After Report Indicates Bari Weiss Will Not Have a Role at the Network

‘Relief’ at CNN After Report Indicates Bari Weiss Will Not Have a Role at the Network

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