Embattled CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss told staff during an all-hands meeting on Tuesday that they should leave if they don't think she's the 'right leader' for the network, adding that it's a 'free country.' The meeting, initially scheduled for last month, was intended to unveil Weiss's strategic vision for the troubled news channel she took over in October.
Surprisingly, Weiss was joined in her call by CBS Mornings co-anchor Gayle King, who has been the subject of speculation that she may be on the chopping block due to her age and salary. King declared: 'If you don't want to be here, if this is not the place, it's OK. But for the rest of us who would like to be here, who'd like to do a good job and figure things out along the way, this is a very bumpy time for all of us.'
In a recording of the meeting obtained by The Independent, King also took aim at 'leakers' who share comments with the media. She said: 'I also want to say to the leakers in the building, I thought you made it very clear if you're not the leader for them. I would like to think that we can have conversations, and that we could talk candidly with each other, and it's not going to friggin be in the paper. I am so sick of that!'
Weiss, a former New York Times opinion columnist who founded the centre-right site The Free Press, has faced intense backlash over her decision to spike a 60 Minutes segment about Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador. She has also been criticised for the 'MAGA-coded' reboot of CBS Evening News, which has suffered poor ratings and technical mishaps. Staff were already on edge ahead of the meeting amid reports of significant cuts, though no layoffs were announced.
Instead, Weiss suggested that disgruntled employees should leave and revealed she is bringing on podcasters and opinion writers as contributors. She said: 'I'm not going to stand up here today and ask for your trust. I'm going to earn it.' She added that CBS News 'is for the centre, we're for the centre-right, and we're for the centre-left.' Representatives for CBS News, King, Weiss and Paramount did not respond to requests for comment.
