Paramount is nearing a deal to acquire Bari Weiss' media start-up, The Free Press, for up to $200 million and position her in a top editorial role at CBS News, a move likely to intensify tensions in a newsroom already unsettled by sweeping corporate changes, the New York Post reported.
Paramount is in advanced talks to fold The Free Press into its newly merged empire with Skydance Media, according to Puck media reporter Dylan Byers. The deal, valued at between $100 million and $200 million, would elevate Weiss — a former New York Times opinion editor — to one of her most prominent positions in mainstream journalism since she left the Times in 2020.
The prospective acquisition comes just weeks after Paramount completed an $8 billion merger with David Ellison's Skydance Media, a transaction that ended decades of Redstone family control.
The merger placed CBS and CBS News under Ellison's leadership and drew scrutiny in Washington. Federal regulators conditioned approval on major changes at CBS News, including creating an ombudsman to oversee bias, dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and expanding "viewpoint diversity."
Those requirements have stirred unease at liberal-leaning CBS News. One staffer told Fox Business the new ombudsman amounted to a "hall monitor," while former anchors warned that the outlet's tradition of independent reporting could be threatened.
Weiss' possible arrival has added to the anxiety. Known for her sharp criticism of progressive orthodoxy, she resigned from the Times after denouncing what she described as an "illiberal environment." Since then, she has built The Free Press into a high-profile, subscriber-driven platform that publishes essays, interviews, and investigative pieces.
Her ascent at CBS would coincide with Ellison's effort to modernize the network's news division, which has struggled with falling ratings. Ellison pitched the Skydance-Paramount merger as a bet on revitalizing the company's creative pipeline, but CBS News became a key sticking point during federal review.
The Federal Communications Commission grilled Ellison's team over CBS' coverage, ultimately tying approval to the creation of the ombudsman's office and the elimination of DEI mandates.
The merger was also cleared after Paramount agreed 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.
Weiss, who launched The Free Press in 2022, has kept quiet publicly about the reported deal.
Paramount has also declined to comment, but reports suggest talks are in their final stages, according to the Post. If completed, the transaction would not only mark Weiss' return to the national spotlight but also signal a reshaping of CBS News at a pivotal moment for the network.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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