Well, CBS News has some exciting news of their own! With Weiss’s arrival as editor-in-chief, the move represents a profound shift in leadership for the celebrated news division. Weiss, who was an opinion editor at The New York Times, takes her new job at CBS. The public network is preparing for a major reorganization, which involves announced staff cuts. This decision follows the exits of Wendy McMahon and Adrienne Roark from the company. They both faced significant push back from Shari Redstone, the chairwoman of Paramount Global.
As Weiss takes over this new position at CBS News, it’s a critical time. The network has struggled to hold onto its audience and has been rife with leadership turnover. Tom Cibrowski, who has run CBS News for the past eight years, will remain president of the network’s news division. Weiss’s appointment, which some say was a surprise, is meant to bring stability to a turbulent newsroom. Relatedly, it aims to improve the depth and breadth of reporting across CBS.
“We publish investigative stories and provocative commentary about the world as it actually is – with the quality once expected from the legacy press, but the fearlessness of the new,” stated The Free Press, a publication closely aligned with Weiss’s editorial vision. Just look at the enormous success The Free Press has found on Substack. It notably prides itself on a readership of 1.5 million, with close to 170,000 subscribers paying for its content.
Weiss has previously made statements about her desire to build a news outfit that welcomes an inclusive ideological rainbow. With this ambitious goal, she intends for CBS News to be a destination that deeply engages their audiences. Her mission is to showcase the best arguments from both sides of the hottest policy debates.
“My goal in the coming days and weeks is to get to know you,” said Weiss regarding her new colleagues and the CBS News team.
In her new role, Weiss plans to approach her responsibilities like any seasoned reporter, maintaining an open mind and a fresh perspective. More importantly, she plans to start by figuring out what is working in CBS News and what isn’t.
“I want to hear from you about what’s working, what isn’t, and your thoughts on how we can make CBS News the most trusted news organization in America and the world,” Weiss added in a statement about her aspirations for the network.
Weiss’s appointment follows CBS’s continuing war with the newly-shaken ratings. The network’s signature morning and evening news broadcasts have never once lost to their competitors in first place or second place. This major change in leadership seeks to improve CBS’s ratings and rebuild faith in its news department’s journalistic standard.
Kenneth R. Weinstein has been appointed to serve as the network’s first ombudsman. In doing so this decision continues CBS’s recent prioritization of transparency and accountability in its operations.
Weiss’s track record at The New York Times already speaks to her skill for achieving that in tough, fractious editorial environments. Indeed, critics have praised her talent for communicating complex issues in a straightforward manner, without arrogance or gobbledygook.
“She explains things clearly, without pretension or jargon,” praised a veteran television executive.
Her past work has received praise from audiences across the political spectrum. David Ellison, a key player in media development, commented on Weiss’s likely effect on CBS’s future.
“This, combined with her restless desire to build, believe and innovate, makes her a perfect fit for our storied news division,” Ellison stated.
As you can tell from her writing and public comments, Weiss is extremely right wing — including her unwavering support for Israel. The Free Press is known for its aggressive, take-no-prisoners, unapologetically pro-new editorial stance. It easily takes down the left and the right in the political spectrum. With her at the helm, CBS News has the potential to embrace that same spirit while steering through its own turbulent waters in the quest for viewers.
As Weiss begins her new job, she faces a daunting set of tasks. Beyond just the layoffs she’ll face this year, she needs to address the ongoing crisis of staff turnover. The network has made news headlines recently because of its revolving door of leaders and for the network’s lack of transparency. This instability threatens the overall integrity of its programming.
Even with these obstacles, Weiss is still excited about her vision for CBS News. Unsurprisingly, she understands the need for outreach and audience engagement, and wants to help readers better understand today’s news.
“I’ll approach it the way any reporter would – with an open mind, a fresh notebook, and an urgent deadline,” she affirmed.