Paramount Buys The Free Press, Bari Weiss Joins CBS Leadership

Paramount Skydance has struck a deal to acquire Bari Weiss’s independent news outlet, The Free Press, and as part of that agreement Weiss will become the new editor‑in‑chief of CBS News.

Weiss, who founded The Free Press in 2021 after departing the New York Times, will retain her leadership roles at both the outlet and CBS. Under the arrangement, The Free Press will continue to operate as its own brand with its own reporting, while collaborating with CBS on editorial direction and content. 

Paramount says the move aims to revitalize CBS News by combining the network’s broad reach with The Free Press’s innovative approach. Paramount CEO David Ellison commented that Weiss’s “entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision” will help modernize how CBS connects with audiences. For its part, Weiss described the acquisition as a chance to bring “fearless, independent journalism” to a much larger and more diverse readership. 

To introduce more people to The Free Press, Paramount announced that it will lift the Free Press paywall for a week. Registered users will gain access to all its content—including articles, videos, podcasts, and livestreams—during that period. 

The acquisition is reported to be worth around $150 million in cash and stock. As part of the new structure, Weiss will report directly to Ellison and collaborate with CBS News leadership, including President Tom Cibrowski. 

This deal also reflects a larger shift in Paramount’s media strategy. After its merger with Skydance, the company has pledged to recalibrate CBS’s news operations—for example, by emphasizing editorial diversity, hiring an ombudsman, and responding to concerns of political bias. 

The move is already drawing attention in the media world—not only because of Weiss’s reputation as a provocative and contrarian voice, but also because of the implications for CBS News’s future direction.

Source: WORLD