Bari Weiss Delivers 'Love It or Leave It' Message to CBS News Employees
Embattled CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss delivered a stark ultimatum to staff during a highly anticipated all-hands meeting on Tuesday, telling employees they should depart if they don't believe she's the "right leader" for the network. The controversial executive, who took over the troubled news channel in October, reminded staff that "it's a free country" while making her position clear about those who might question her leadership approach.
Gayle King's Passionate Defense and Leaker Criticism
Perhaps surprisingly, Weiss received vocal support from Gayle King, the CBS Mornings co-anchor who has herself been the subject of multiple reports suggesting she might soon be dismissed due to her age and substantial salary. King used her platform at the meeting's conclusion to rally support for Weiss while simultaneously launching a blistering attack on internal "leakers" who share confidential discussions with media outlets.
"If you don't want to be here, if this is not the place, it's OK," King declared during the question and answer session. "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 obtained by The Independent, King expressed particular frustration with colleagues who share internal conversations with journalists. "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," the morning host said directly to Weiss. "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!"
Strategic Vision Amidst Organisational Turmoil
The staffwide meeting, originally scheduled for last month, served as Weiss's formal unveiling of her strategic direction for the struggling news network. Since assuming leadership in October, Weiss's tenure has been marked by plummeting staff morale and intense scrutiny over her editorial decisions, particularly her controversial move to spike a 60 Minutes segment about Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvadorian prisons.
Weiss, a former New York Times opinion columnist who founded the center-right publication The Free Press, acknowledged the challenging environment during her opening remarks. "Let me start by saying: I get it. I also get why, in the face of all this tumult, you might feel uncertain or skeptical about me or what I'm aiming to do here," she stated, playing Pharrell Williams' "Happy" as she began her presentation.
The editor-in-chief emphasised that she wouldn't ask for trust but would instead earn it, promising "transparency, clarity, straight talk" to employees. Her vision involves transforming CBS News for the digital age, moving beyond traditional television ratings to compete in what she described as the "Wild West of social media."
New Contributor Announcements and Staff Reactions
Weiss officially revealed plans to bring eighteen new contributors to the network, many of whom are already associated with The Free Press. The list includes writers like Patrick McGee, Coleman Hughes, and conservative historian Niall Ferguson, alongside controversial figures such as functional medicine advocate Mark Hyman and popular science podcaster Andrew Huberman.
Staff reactions to these appointments were mixed, with one CBS News employee questioning: "Who wants to watch this crap, and where is the news in any of this?" Another network insider offered a more personal critique of Weiss's presentation style, noting: "She seems very small. She can read talking points off the teleprompter, but it doesn't really connect to what's happening inside the organization."
Addressing Controversial Editorial Decisions
During the question and answer session, Weiss faced direct questioning about her decision to pull the "Inside CECOT" report, which she claimed needed additional reporting to secure comments from the Trump administration. The segment eventually aired largely unchanged this month after Trump officials again declined to speak on record.
Weiss acknowledged she wouldn't make the same decision to hold content after promotional materials had been released, stating: "Now, am I ever going to hold something again after it has been put out there with promos? I don't want to make that exact same decision again. No, I do not."
The editor-in-chief also addressed concerns about potential pressure from Paramount boss David Ellison regarding the segment, insisting she "was not pressured by David Ellison or anyone else" and that their conversations focused solely on "fairness" in news coverage.
Transgender Guidance Controversy
One particularly pointed exchange occurred when CBS Evening News producer Nicole Cutrona, who is transgender, questioned Weiss about changes to editorial guidance regarding transgender coverage. Cutrona noted she'd been "the victim of one of the leaks" concerning revised standards that now direct the network to "use the term biological sex at birth" without quotation marks when discussing trans athletes.
Weiss confirmed her involvement in the decision, explaining: "I have a conversation with standards about all kinds of things throughout the day, throughout the week, and that was a conversation about whether or not the phrase biological sex should be in scare quotes or not. And I felt that we didn't need to do that."
King's Closing Rallying Cry
The meeting concluded with King delivering an emotional appeal to staff, comparing the current atmosphere to "walking around with gasoline on our pants" due to constant external criticism and internal uncertainty. She expressed frustration with people who approach her saying "I'm so sorry that you're leaving CBS" while emphasising her commitment to the network and its employees.
"What I see everyday are people who really love what they do," King asserted. "We work really hard, we're very proud of what we do here, and I don't want anybody to lose sight of that."
Representatives for CBS News, King, Weiss, and Paramount did not respond to requests for comment following the contentious meeting that laid bare the deep divisions and challenges facing the historic news organisation as it navigates a period of significant transformation and internal tension.
