In her first quarter at the helm of CBS News, Bari Weiss delivered a candid assessment of the network's current trajectory, warning her staff that the organization risks failure if it remains on its present course. She invoked Walter Cronkite, the iconic CBS Evening News anchor once hailed as "the most trusted man in America," as a figure emblematic of an earlier era of journalism, contrasting that with today's vastly different media environment.
Weiss announced that 18 new contributors would be joining CBS News, illustrating her commitment to diversify perspectives and revitalize storytelling. Her intention is to craft content that "surprises and provokes," including re-examining the practices and culture within the newsroom itself.
Prior to her current position, Weiss founded the Free Press website and brought no prior broadcast experience to CBS News under Paramount's new management. Early into her tenure, she has generated considerable attention and controversy, notably by delaying the broadcast of a "60 Minutes" segment critical of President Donald Trump's deportation policies for a month. This decision has led to finger-pointing regarding whether she is steering the network toward a pro-Trump editorial stance.
In a publicly released speech to CBS News employees, Weiss clarified her vision of leading as a catalyst for change. She acknowledged the enduring respect for Walter Cronkite while highlighting the dramatically expanded field of competition, now including around two billion news sources compared to just two during Cronkite's era.
She stated that CBS News is currently failing to produce content that resonates with a wide enough audience. The network suffers from insufficient public trust and has been losing viewers to various digital mediums such as podcasts, newsletters, YouTube channels, and more agile competitors. Weiss underscored that clinging to traditional broadcast television audiences is a strategy destined for failure.
Emphasizing the urgency of transformation, Weiss advocates adopting a streaming-first mentality, recognizing that this medium will become the dominant, if not exclusive, way people will access news moving forward. She expressed a desire to transform CBS News into an experimental hub for innovative formats including podcasts and newsletters, citing CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin as an example of building a recognizable personal brand within this evolving landscape.
Weiss declared that investigative reporting will become a cornerstone, focusing on delivering "scoops" that have lasting significance — not just fleeting exclusives — including investigative and explanatory journalism. She conveyed confidence in CBS News’s resources, calling it "the best capitalized media start-up in the world." However, she cautioned that the fast-paced, experiment-driven environment of a start-up will not suit everyone, giving employees the freedom to reassess their fit within the evolving organization.
During a question-and-answer session, Weiss hinted at a forthcoming workforce transformation within CBS News but withheld specific details. She advocated for the network to better mirror the political diversity and tension present in the national conversation, broadening both the stories covered and the range of voices featured. The network has increased interviews with figures from the Trump administration and recently aired a "60 Minutes" interview with former President Trump, as well as prime-time specials involving politically conservative figures such as the widow of activist Charlie Kirk.
The roster of new contributors reflects this widening aperture, including Free Press columnist Niall Ferguson, who has voiced support for Trump, and Mark Hyman, allied with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Additional new voices include Iranian American journalist Masih Alinejad, social scientist Arthur Brooks focusing on human happiness, chef and podcaster Caroline Chambers, Harvard economist Roland Fryer Jr., Free Press columnist Coleman Hughes, former National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, Manhattan Institute President Reihan Salam, and podcaster Derek Thompson.
Weiss's approach signals a decisive break with the past and an aggressive push to redefine CBS News’s role in an increasingly crowded and fragmented media ecosystem.