Bari Weiss, the 41-year-old Jewish commentator and self-described "fanatic Zionist," has become the most controversial figure in American news media after being named CBS News editor-in-chief without any television experience. Since taking over about eight months ago, she has fired a string of CBS and "60 Minutes" stars, clashed with senior staff, and angered colleagues who say she is imposing a political agenda. CBS insiders describe the changes as a brutal overhaul, while Weiss has privately called it a "de-Baathification of CBS."
Her rise was made possible by the $8 billion purchase of Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, by David Ellison, son of billionaire Larry Ellison and a Trump ally. Ellison also bought Weiss’s outlet, The Free Press, for $150 million and then installed her atop CBS News. The move came as Paramount sought regulatory approval for other major deals, including the pending $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery bid. Donald Trump praised Weiss on her appointment, and Paramount earlier settled a lawsuit with him for $16 million over a "60 Minutes" interview dispute involving Kamala Harris.
Weiss’s first months have been marked by turbulence. On May 28, dubbed "Black Thursday" inside CBS News, producers and correspondents including Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega and Tanya Simon were dismissed from "60 Minutes." Soon after, Scott Pelley was also forced out after accusing Weiss of "killing the program." Former staff say she intervened directly in editorial decisions, including canceling Alfonsi’s completed investigation into El Salvador’s CECOT prison because it lacked enough Trump administration response, and allegedly pushing for more favorable framing of ICE and other administration stories.
The article traces Weiss’s path from Pittsburgh, Columbia University and the New York Times, where she became a leading anti-woke voice before resigning in 2020 after a fierce internal revolt over her views. She then founded The Free Press, which grew rapidly and was later sold to Paramount. Since October 7 and the war in Gaza, she has become one of the loudest U.S. voices defending Israel, criticizing pro-Palestinian campus protests and urging tougher coverage of Iran. CBS staff now fear her influence could soon expand to CNN if Paramount’s Warner Bros. Discovery deal goes through.
