The Gateway Pundit reported that Paramount has acquired The Free Press for $150 million.
Bari Weiss, co-founder and CEO of The Free Press, has been appointed as the editor-in-chief of CBS News.
Weiss is known for her criticism of progressivism, cancel culture, her pro-Israel stance, and her anti-woke views.
Michael M. Grynbaum from The New York Times shared Weiss’s letter to her new team.
On Thursday, Weiss made headlines with her ‘first scalp’ as Claudia Milne, the head of CBS News’ standards and practices unit, was let go from the network.
Milne faced criticism for several decisions deemed overly progressive by CBS. Notably, in 2023, CBS News executives, including Milne, reportedly prohibited the use of the term ‘transgender’ in coverage of the Covenant School shooting, which involved Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a biological female identifying as a transgender male.
A memo obtained by The New York Post stated, “The shooter’s gender identity has not been confirmed by CBS News,” leading executives to advise against mentioning it as it was deemed irrelevant to the crime. They indicated that this policy could be revisited if new information emerged.
This directive was communicated by Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, executive vice president of newsgathering, and Milne.
Milne also reportedly prevented former CBS News correspondent Catherine Herridge from interviewing Elon Musk in 2023.
The Post reported on Milne’s exit, noting that while her position had been “slowly phased out,” a CBS insider described her departure as “significant.”
“She was part of the woke mob at CBS News. It shows an editorial shift in how CBS will operate,” the source speculated, suggesting that “this is Bari’s first scalp.”
In a farewell note to colleagues, Milne stated, “We live in complicated times. For our company, for our industry and for our country. And it’s times like this that what we do matters most.”
She added, “I believe our role as journalists is to hold the powerful to account.”
Upon assuming her new role, Weiss expressed on X, “They said that the internet killed journalism forever and that there simply weren’t enough Americans out there in search of media driven by honesty, independence, and integrity. You proved them wrong.”
Weiss continued, “You demonstrated that there is a market, a big one for honest journalism, and you’ve given us a mandate to pursue that mission from an even bigger platform. I’m going to continue to lead this incredible community alongside my tireless team, remaining CEO and Editor-in-Chief of the Free Press, and of course, hosting this show.”
