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Paramount has appointed former NYT columnist Bari Weiss to lead CBS News, signaling the latest initiative by recent acquirers to restructure activities of one of America's leading news outlets.

Paramount is additionally buying The Free Press, the digital outlet Weiss founded after her acrimonious exit from the New York Times, in a agreement said to be worth $150 million.

Ms Weiss, who has questioned broadcast media for becoming too partisan, said she was enthusiastic to shape CBS, which was taken over by David Ellison earlier this year as part of a larger merger with Paramount.

History of the Executive

Ms Weiss, who commenced her work at Jewish publications, is recognized for her advocacy of Israel and her questioning of "call-out culture".

Beginning as a digital bulletin in 2021, The Free Press has accumulated 1.5 million followers, including over 170,000 subscribing supporters.

It has received recognition for coverage such as a piece critical of NPR by one of its previous business editors, as well as an analysis of some photos used by established media to depict famine in Gaza.

Big name authors include academic Niall Ferguson and financial expert Tyler Cowen.

Strategic Plans

Mr Ellison said the hiring of Ms Weiss as editor-in-chief was part of a larger initiative to modernize programming at Paramount and make CBS the "most credible name in news".

"We are convinced the majority of the country wants news that is balanced and fact-based, and we want CBS to be their destination," he said.

Further Developments at CBS

Details of the arrangement were not made public. Paramount would not address stories that the corporation had paid $150 million in shares and money.

Mr Ellison made his name as a Hollywood movie maker of hit movies 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 capacity to connect with all viewers.

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

To secure clearance of the transaction, Mr Ellison pledged to create an independent ombudsman at CBS to review complaints of prejudice and committed to authorities that programming would reflect a diversity of opinions.

He also said CBS's long-running political show "Face the Nation" would no longer air altered conversations.

Collaboration Information

CBS News has a partnership agreement with a global news organization, meaning news reporting including recorded segments can be distributed.

In a statement revealing the agreement, Ms Weiss said she believed in the Paramount leader and his management group.

"They are committing fully because they support news. Because they have conviction. Because they love this country. And because they appreciate, as we do, that America cannot prosper without shared information, agreed principles, and a shared perspective," she wrote.