The new owner of CBS is considering naming Bari Weiss to a leadership position at the network's news division, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
Weiss, who founded and has been leading the online outlet The Free Press, previously worked at The Wall Street Journal and the Times.
Billionaire owner David Ellison, chairman and CEO of Paramount, a Skydance corporation, is considering naming Weiss the editor in chief or co-president of CBS News, the Times reported Wednesday.
Ellison took control last month after the Paramount-Skydance merger was cleared. That followed Paramount agreeing to settle a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump against CBS News over a "60 Minutes" interview with Kamala Harris that he alleged was deceptively edited.
CBS News earlier this month announced it would air only "Face the Nation" interviews conducted live, or are prerecorded with no edits.
Bringing on Weiss would be part of a broader deal to buy The Free Press, the outlet added.
It was reported last week that Paramount was nearing a deal to acquire The Free Press for up to $200 million and position her in a top editorial role at CBS News.
Kenneth R. Weinstein, former president and CEO of the conservative Hudson Institute, will serve as CBS News ombudsman, Paramount announced Monday. Weinstein's job will focus on reviewing complaints about the network's coverage.
After resigning from the Times, Weiss started The Free Press in 2021 with her wife, Nellie Bowles, and her sister, Suzy Weiss.
The Free Press, which began as a newsletter, was positioned as an alternative to mainstream media organizations.
While discussing the Paramount-Skydance merger last month, Ellison sidestepped questions about Trump and settlement terms with the president's administration, telling reporters he would not be "politicizing anything today."
Ellison was asked about Trump's claim that he made a side deal for $20 million in free advertising with the previous Paramount executive team.
"We were not involved in the settlement in any way," Ellison said, adding that Skydance "complied with all laws, including the antibribery law."
When pressed, Ellison said, "We are not going to politicize anything today. We want to entertain first."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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