Meet Bari Weiss: The Bold New Editor in Chief Leading CBS News | NPR

Paramount revealed on Monday its acquisition of The Free Press, a bold news platform recognized for its critiques of mainstream media and progressive “woke” culture. Alongside this, Bari Weiss, co-founder of The Free Press, has been named the new editor-in-chief of CBS News.

In a letter addressed to her audience on Monday, Weiss expressed, “Today marks my start as editor-in-chief of CBS News, collaborating with talented teams behind iconic programs like 60 Minutes and Sunday Morning. Together, we aim to influence how millions of Americans consume and interpret news in this modern era.”

This appointment signifies a remarkable milestone in the career of the 41-year-old journalist and media entrepreneur, who previously held editorial roles at the Wall Street Journal and New York Times before openly distancing herself from traditional media institutions.

Weiss departed from the New York Times in 2020 following widespread internal dissent over the publication of a contentious op-ed by Senator Tom Cotton, which advocated for military intervention during protests sparked by George Floyd’s death. In her detailed resignation, Weiss cited harassment from colleagues and criticized the paper’s susceptibility to left-wing online pressures.

In 2021, Weiss, alongside her sister Suzy Weiss and partner Nellie Bowles, launched The Free Press initially as a newsletter named Common Sense. They envisioned it as a “media venture grounded in the foundational principles of American journalism: integrity, persistence, and unwavering independence.”

By 2022, The Free Press had evolved into a comprehensive media company, branching into podcasts and live events. Its investigative work and opinion pieces often focus on politically charged topics such as gender-affirming healthcare, pandemic restrictions, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and debates surrounding J.K. Rowling’s stance on transgender issues.

The platform also became a home for former NPR editor Uri Berliner, who penned a critical essay on public radio’s declining public trust before joining The Free Press as a senior editor. The publication, much like Weiss herself, is noted for its strong pro-Israel perspective, especially following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent conflict in Gaza.

According to Paramount, The Free Press has expanded its subscriber base by 86% over the past year, now reaching 1.5 million readers. The outlet enjoys backing from prominent figures such as venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, hedge fund manager Paul Marshall, and ex-Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz.

Reflecting on the growth, Weiss stated, “While we are proud of the 1.5 million subscribers who have joined The Free Press, this is a nation of 340 million. Our ambition is to broaden our reach swiftly and effectively. This unique opportunity enables us to do just that.”

The Free Press will maintain its brand identity and operational independence. Reports suggest Weiss, despite lacking prior broadcast experience, will not oversee CBS News’ daily operations but will significantly influence its editorial strategy, particularly as the network seeks to attract more conservative viewers. Following Skydance Media’s acquisition of Paramount, CBS News’ parent company, the conglomerate pledged to foster a wider range of political and ideological perspectives.

David Ellison, CEO of Skydance Media, praised Weiss, saying, “Bari exemplifies principled, independent journalism. Her entrepreneurial spirit and editorial insight will energize CBS News. This move aligns with Paramount’s broader mission to modernize content and deepen audience engagement globally.”

Bari Weiss: A Brief Biography

Raised in a Jewish household in Pittsburgh, Weiss celebrated her Bat Mitzvah at the Tree of Life Synagogue years before it became the site of the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history in 2018.

She attended Columbia University, where she recalls dating future Saturday Night Live star Kate McKinnon. During her sophomore year, Weiss was part of a group of Jewish students who challenged the university’s Middle East studies department over perceived anti-Israel bias. Although a university panel found no ongoing issues, the episode gained national attention and led Columbia to revise its faculty complaint procedures.

This experience was pivotal for Weiss, who became the founding editor of a campus magazine focused on politics, culture, and Jewish issues. She later authored How to Fight Anti-Semitism, published in 2019.

Post-graduation, Weiss served as senior editor at Tablet, an online Jewish magazine, before joining the Wall Street Journal in 2013 as an op-ed and book review editor. She left in 2017, partly due to the publication’s reluctance to run op-eds critical of President Trump.

“It was painful to witness people I thought shared core values embracing a candidate who campaigned by denigrating society’s most vulnerable,” Weiss told Reason magazine.

In 2017, Weiss joined the New York Times opinion section as a staff editor and writer, part of an initiative to diversify ideological voices under then-editor James Bennet.

Reflecting on her political positioning, Weiss remarked, “I went from being the most progressive person at the Wall Street Journal to the most conservative at the New York Times.”

Her columns often sparked debate, including defenses of cultural appropriation, support for Aziz Ansari amid #MeToo allegations, questioning the impact of sexual assault claims against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and critiques of liberal intolerance.

The most intense controversy arose in June 2020 after the Times published Senator Cotton’s op-ed advocating military force against Black Lives Matter protests. The piece triggered internal protests, an editor’s note admitting editorial failure, and Bennet’s resignation. Weiss defended the publication and described the turmoil as a “civil war” between younger progressive staff and older liberals. She resigned the following month, citing workplace bullying and an oppressive atmosphere.

Bari Weiss backstage at a live event in Los Angeles, September 2023.
Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
hide caption

toggle caption

Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Political Identity of Bari Weiss

The Free Press positions itself as an anti-woke outlet, frequently challenging mainstream institutions and experts across sectors like media and public health. However, it has maintained a relatively balanced stance on the Trump administration, occasionally critiquing it and recently opposing ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel under alleged pressure.

Weiss’s own political alignment has been somewhat fluid. She has described herself as a “radical centrist” and a “Jewish, center-left-on-most-things person.” In a 2024 TED Talk, she revealed voting for Republican Mitt Romney in one election and Democrats Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden in others.

She identifies as pro-choice, pro-Israel, and a supporter of gay marriage-so much so that she is married to her wife, Nellie Bowles, a former Times technology reporter. The couple wed in 2021, the same year they co-founded The Free Press, and have two children.

Despite her liberal roots, Weiss acknowledges facing criticism from within progressive circles. “I used to be considered a typical liberal,” she said, “yet many of my views are now seen as controversial or even bigoted in elite intellectual spaces.”

Why Return to Traditional Media?

In her announcement, Weiss addressed the question many might have: “Why leave the New York Times only to join another legacy media institution?”

She explained that although she was raised to trust the institutions that shaped America, by 2020 she realized that vital public discourse was increasingly happening outside those traditional venues.

Five years on, Weiss observes that mainstream gatekeepers have repeatedly failed, while new voices like podcasters and social media influencers have risen to prominence.

She describes a polarized landscape dominated by an “America-critical far left” and a “revisionist far right,” leaving the majority of pragmatic, politically diverse Americans underserved. Weiss views Paramount’s partnership with The Free Press as a chance to address this gap.

“The principles we’ve cultivated-journalism rooted in curiosity and truth, a culture that welcomes robust debate, and a shared faith in America’s potential-now have the platform to reach a much larger audience,” Weiss concluded.

In a memo to CBS News staff obtained by Axios, Weiss outlined ten guiding principles for her editorial approach, including holding both major political parties equally accountable, embracing diverse viewpoints to foster informed debate, and committing to honest reporting regardless of where the facts lead.