Bari Weiss, three months into her role as CBS News chief, told staff on Tuesday that the network faces an existential crisis without strategic transformation. “We’re toast” if CBS News continues relying on its remaining broadcast television audience, Weiss said in remarks she released publicly.
The comments signal a significant shift in editorial strategy at the broadcast news network, with implications for how CBS News covers politics, public figures, and contested policy debates.
The Challenge: Competition and the Streaming Future
Weiss invoked legendary CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite, called “the most trusted man in America” during the 1960s and 1970s, as a symbol of outdated thinking. “We can’t reverse time’s arrow,” she said, according to her remarks. “He had two competitors. We have two billion, give or take.”
The network’s fundamental problem, Weiss argued, is that CBS News is not producing content that enough people want or trust. Competition comes not just from traditional media outlets but from podcasts, newsletters, YouTube, and faster-moving digital rivals.
Weiss said CBS News must adopt a streaming mentality because streaming will eventually become the only way people consume content. The network should operate as a “best capitalized media start-up in the world,” she said, emphasizing investigative reporting that does not expire in minutes, alongside what she called “scoops of ideas” and “scoops of explanation.”
She pointed to CNBC host and author Andrew Ross Sorkin as a model for building a personal brand alongside institutional affiliation.
New Voices and Editorial Direction
Weiss announced that 18 new contributors are joining CBS News. Among them are Niall Ferguson, a Free Press columnist and Trump supporter, and Mark Hyman, a doctor and podcast host who has aligned with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of health and human services.
Additional contributors include journalist Masih Alinejad, social scientist Arthur Brooks, 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 said CBS News needs to reflect “more of the political friction that animates our national conversation” and “widen the aperture” of the stories it tells and the voices it presents. She acknowledged that the pace of change may not suit everyone on staff, suggesting some employees might choose to leave.
Controversy and Questions
Weiss’s tenure has already drawn scrutiny. CBS News held a “60 Minutes” story critical of President Trump’s deportation policy from being broadcast for about a month. Simultaneously, the network featured Trump in multiple high-profile interviews: an appearance on “60 Minutes” on November 2, and an interview with anchor Tony Dokoupil on January 13.
In December, Weiss hosted a prime-time interview special with Erika Kirk, widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Weiss is the founder of the Free Press website and lacked broadcast journalism experience before being hired by Paramount’s new management. Critics are monitoring whether her editorial decisions signal a shift toward Trump-friendly coverage at the network.