Paramount Skydance Acquires The Free Press, Taps Bari Weiss as CBS News Editor-in-Chief
Paramount Skydance Acquires The Free Press, Taps Bari Weiss as CBS News Editor-in-Chief
In a significant shake-up of the media landscape, the newly formed Paramount Skydance corporation has announced its acquisition of The Free Press, the online news and commentary platform co-founded by Bari Weiss. As part of the deal, Weiss will assume the role of editor-in-chief at CBS News.
Weiss, who launched The Free Press in 2021 alongside Nellie Bowles and Suzy Weiss, positioned the publication as a heterodox voice, challenging what she described as prevailing ideological narratives in legacy media. The Free Press has grown to approximately 1.5 million subscribers on Substack, with over 170,000 paid subscribers, reportedly generating more than $15 million in annual subscription revenue.
This acquisition marks one of Skydance chief David Ellison’s initial major strategic moves to reshape Paramount’s news division, following his blockbuster $8 billion acquisition of the company earlier this year. Ellison has emphasized a commitment to embracing diverse viewpoints and representing varied ideological perspectives across Paramount’s content offerings, including a pledge to install an ombudsman at CBS News.
“This partnership allows our ethos of fearless, independent journalism to reach an enormous, diverse, and influential audience,” Weiss stated in a news release. “We honor the extraordinary legacy of CBS News by committing ourselves to a singular mission: building the most trusted news organization of the 21st Century.”
Ellison praised Weiss, stating, “Bari is a proven champion of independent, principled journalism, and I am confident her entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision will invigorate CBS News. This move is part of Paramount’s bigger vision to modernize content and the way it connects — directly and passionately — to audiences around the world.”
The acquisition talks, first reported in late June, culminate in a pivotal moment for CBS News, which has faced scrutiny in recent months, including an ongoing FCC investigation into alleged news distortion and a settled lawsuit with former President Donald Trump. Weiss’s appointment signals a new editorial direction for the nearly 100-year-old news operation.
Disclaimer: This content is aggregated from public sources online. Please verify information independently. If you believe your rights have been infringed, contact us for removal.