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Paramount has appointed former NYT columnist Bari Weiss to oversee CBS News, signaling the most recent move by recent acquirers to reshape workings of a major US news outlets.

Paramount is furthermore acquiring The Free Press, the digital outlet Weiss started after her acrimonious exit from the New York Times, in a agreement estimated to be worth $150 million.

Ms Weiss, who has criticised broadcast media for becoming excessively biased, said she was excited to influence CBS, which was purchased by David Ellison earlier this year as part of a larger merger with Paramount.

History of the Executive

Ms Weiss, who started her career at Jewish media organizations, is known for her support of Israel and her criticism of "cancel culture".

Beginning as a newsletter in 2021, The Free Press has attracted 1.5 million readers, including more than 170,000 paying members.

It has received recognition for coverage such as a piece questioning of NPR by one of its previous business editors, as well as an analysis of some photos used by traditional journalism to illustrate famine in Gaza.

Big name writers include scholar Niall Ferguson and economist Tyler Cowen.

Vision for CBS

Mr Ellison said the hiring of Ms Weiss as chief editor was part of a larger campaign to refresh content at Paramount and make CBS the "most reliable name in news".

"We think the bulk of the country wants news that is even-handed and accurate, and we want CBS to be their home," he said.

Further Developments at CBS

Details of the arrangement were not made public. Paramount declined to comment stories that the company had paid $150 million in shares and money.

Mr Ellison established his reputation as a Hollywood movie maker of major films such as Top Gun Maverick, True Grit and World War Z.

He has said his objective is to produce coverage that is more balanced politically, and therefore has the ability to connect with all demographics.

His purchase of Paramount was approved by oversight bodies this recent period, after the company consented to pay $16 million to resolve a court case.

To obtain consent of the deal, Mr Ellison pledged to create an independent ombudsman at CBS to assess concerns of bias and vowed to regulators that programming would showcase a range of opinions.

He further said CBS's established political show "Face the Nation" would no longer air modified discussions.

Partnership Details

CBS News has a working relationship with a global news organization, meaning news content including visual material can be exchanged.

In a note revealing the arrangement, Ms Weiss said she trusted in the Paramount boss and his management group.

"They are committing fully because they support news. Because they have conviction. Because they cherish this country. And because they understand, as we do, that America cannot succeed without common facts, common truths, and a common reality," she stated.