Ex-New York Times writer to lead CBS after Paramount deal

Paramount has named former New York Times opinion writer Bari Weiss to lead CBS News, in the latest move by new owners to reshape operations of one of America’s leading news organisations.

Paramount is also buying The Free Press, the digital outlet Weiss started after her acrimonious departure from the New York Times, in a deal reported to be worth $150m (£112m).

Ms Weiss, who has criticised broadcast media for becoming too partisan, said she was excited to put her stamp on CBS, which was taken over by David Ellison earlier this year as part of a wider merger with Paramount.

The deal has drawn scrutiny on the left because Mr Ellison is the son of tech billionaire and Trump ally Larry Ellison.

Ms Weiss, who started her career working at Jewish news outlets, is known for her support of Israel and her criticism of “cancel culture”.

Since its start as a newsletter in 2021, The Free Press has attracted 1.5 million subscribers, including more than 170,000 paid subscribers.

It has drawn attention for reports such as a piece critical of NPR by one of its former business editors, Uri Berliner, as well as an investigation of some photos used by mainstream news outlets to illustrate famine in Gaza, which said many of those featured suffered other health conditions.

Big name contributors include historian Niall Ferguson and economist Tyler Cowen.

Mr Ellison said the appointment was part of a bigger effort to modernise content at Paramount and make CBS the “most-trusted name in news”.

“We believe the majority of the country longs for news that is balanced and fact-based, and we want CBS to be their home,” he said.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Paramount declined to comment on the reports that the firm had paid $150m in stock and cash.

Mr Ellison made his name as a Hollywood film producer of blockbusters such as Top Gun Maverick, True Grit and World War Z.

He has said his aim is to produce coverage that is less politically skewed, and therefore has the ability to reach all audiences.

His takeover of Paramount was approved by the Trump administration this summer, after the company agreed to pay $16m to settle a lawsuit brought by Trump over a 60 Minutes interview with his 2024 presidential rival Kamala Harris he said was deceptively edited to benefit Democrats.

To win approval of the deal, Mr Ellison agreed to install an independent ombudsman at CBS to review complaints of bias and committed to regulators that programming would reflect a diversity of view points.

He also said CBS’s long-running political show “Face the Nation” would no longer air edited interviews.

CBS News has a partnership agreement with the BBC, meaning news content including video footage can be shared. BBC News is editorially independent of CBS.

In a note announcing the deal, Ms Weiss said she believed in the Paramount boss and his leadership team.

“They are doubling down because they believe in news. Because they have courage. Because they love this country. And because they understand, as we do, that America cannot thrive without common facts, common truths, and a common reality,” she wrote.