Six CBS News employees have voiced a mixture of apprehension, skepticism and frustration over the appointment of controversial commentator Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief, following Paramount Skydance's acquisition of her Substack publication, the Free Press, in a reported $150m deal. In conversations with the Guardian, staffers described the mood as 'utterly depressing', with one saying 'a throwing up emoji is not enough of a reflection of the feelings in here'.
Several employees questioned Weiss's lack of experience in television news. 'Somebody who has zero experience in television news or even hard news for that matter … but with a clearly defined political agenda,' one staffer said. 'It's hard to see this as anything more than an attempt to bend the knee completely.' Another added that Weiss is 'the last person who should be brought in to CBS'.
The appointment comes amid ongoing uncertainty at the network, which has seen multiple leadership changes, mergers, and legal issues, including a $16m settlement with Donald Trump. One employee noted: 'It's been 18 months of lurching through reported mergers, legal threat, lawsuits, settlements, firings, yet another round of new leaders.'
Weiss did not attend the network's daily 9am editorial call on Monday, but CBS News president Tom Cibrowski said she would attend future meetings. An employee who participated described the room as 'pretty stone-faced'. Weiss will report directly to Paramount CEO David Ellison, bypassing Cibrowski and George Cheeks, which has raised eyebrows about the unusual structure.
Some staffers adopted a 'wait and see' approach, though one called the price tag 'pretty indefensible' as the newsroom braces for further cuts. A former insider questioned how Weiss would wield her power, while a current employee expressed curiosity about her editorial appointments, saying 'ruling by edict from the top won't be enough to change things'.
In a memo to staff, Weiss said she plans to spend the next few days and weeks getting to know them, adding: 'I want to hear from you about what's working, what isn't, and your thoughts on how we can make CBS News the most trusted news organization in America and the world.'
