Skydance Acquires Free Press; Names Bari Weiss CBS Editor

Paramount Skydance has acquired The Free Press for roughly $150 million in cash and stock and named its co‑founder Bari Weiss editor‑in‑chief of CBS News. Weiss will report directly to Paramount CEO David Ellison while remaining CEO and editor‑in‑chief of The Free Press, which will keep its brand and operations as an independent unit inside Paramount. The Free Press, founded in 2021–2022, has grown to about 1.5 million readers, roughly 170,000 of them paid subscribers. Paramount’s leadership says the deal is part of a broader effort to modernize and reshape CBS News and is expected to give Weiss influence over flagship programs such as 60 Minutes and CBS Sunday Morning. Weiss — who left The New York Times in 2020 citing “woke” workplace culture and built The Free Press as a platform critical of progressive orthodoxies and known for pro‑Israel stances — brings significant public influence but limited television management experience. The announcement has prompted mixed reactions, with some CBS staff expressing guarded curiosity or optimism and critics warning the hire could signal a rightward shift at the network.