When Bari Weiss walked into the CBS News headquarters as its new editor-in-chief in early October 2025, she did so with a mission and a memo. Her arrival, marked by an immediate and direct call for staff introspection, has set the stage for a transformation—one that’s already stirring debate, concern, and hope in equal measure.
In her very first week at the helm, Weiss reached out to CBS News employees with a memo that was as blunt as it was ambitious. "I hope you are as excited as I am about the prospect of elevating CBS News to its rightful place as No. 1: the most trusted and most consumed news source in the nation," she wrote, according to Deadline. She asked staffers to send her, by Tuesday, October 14, a detailed account of how they spend their working hours, what projects they’re most proud of, and, crucially, their honest opinions on what works, what’s broken, and how the network can improve. "Please be blunt—it will help me greatly," Weiss urged, emphasizing that the memos would guide upcoming individual meetings.
Weiss’s approach—demanding a brutally honest assessment from her new team—signals a hands-on leadership style and a willingness to shake up the status quo. As Semafor and The Hollywood Reporter noted, she promised strict confidentiality for all replies, perhaps hoping to foster candor and build internal alliances for what’s shaping up to be a major overhaul of the storied news division.
But if Weiss hoped for immediate buy-in, the reaction from CBS News staff was anything but uniform. Some employees viewed the memo with suspicion, fearing it might be a prelude to job cuts or a tool to gauge alignment with Weiss’s agenda. One veteran told Business Insider the note sounded like "she wants us to justify our jobs and figure out if we align with her agenda." The skepticism was amplified by ongoing anxieties over Paramount’s plans for widespread layoffs later this year, as well as the fact that CBS News has cycled through five presidents since 2019, reflecting years of leadership upheaval and uncertainty.
The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), quickly weighed in. The union sent an “immediate demand” to CBS News for more information about the purpose of the memo and whether staff responses would be used as grounds for discipline, discharge, or layoffs. WGAE recommended that its members hold off on replying until those questions were answered, as reported by Deadline and Variety. The union also sought clarity on who would have access to the responses and whether artificial intelligence might be used to review them—concerns that underscore the tense atmosphere as CBS News enters a new era.
Weiss, who reports directly to Paramount CEO David Ellison, is under intense scrutiny not only for her leadership style but also for her background. Known primarily as an opinion writer and for her work at The New York Times and as founder of The Free Press, she has little experience in the world of broadcast television and its unique demands for breaking news. Yet, her appointment comes as part of a broader strategy by Paramount—and Ellison in particular—to rebuild America’s “civil discourse.” At a recent conference, Ellison outlined his vision of fact-based reporting and diverse viewpoints, with Weiss and The Free Press as central to that effort. Paramount’s acquisition of The Free Press for a reported $150 million is seen as an accelerant for a digital future, with plans to create a direct-to-consumer platform that blends CBS’s broadcast reach with digital and podcast content.
Weiss isn’t working alone. She’s partnering with CBS News president Tom Cibrowski to steer the organization in a new direction. In her first days, she’s already held a flurry of meetings with anchors and producers in New York and Washington, signaling that she’s wasting no time in building relationships and gathering information, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
But as the Ellison-Weiss era dawns, the network’s internal politics are shifting. One of the most high-profile questions centers on the future of Gayle King, whose $15 million annual salary has become a flashpoint as the new leadership looks to cut costs and elevate other talent. According to The Daily Mail and The New York Post, King’s contract runs through May 2026, but with ratings declines and a push to move away from polarizing coverage, her future at CBS News is uncertain. Weiss has reportedly met with Norah O’Donnell—who was quietly removed from CBS Evening News last year—about a possible return to CBS Mornings or even a renewed role on the evening broadcast. Tony Dokoupil, a co-anchor on CBS Mornings, is also said to be in the mix for a bigger role as the network seeks to inject new life into its underperforming flagship programs.
The changes aren’t limited to on-air talent. There’s pressure to tone down what some insiders call “ultra-progressive” programming on CBS Mornings, a move reportedly resisted by King’s producer, Shawna Thomas. The network’s leadership is apparently keen to broaden the show’s appeal after viewer complaints and ratings slumps, with some sources suggesting that the show’s focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has alienated segments of the audience. Meanwhile, the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert—whose contract also ends in May 2026—signals that cost-cutting and strategic realignment are not limited to news programming.
Beyond the business and personnel drama, Weiss’s appointment has ignited a fierce debate about representation and editorial direction. As Paste Magazine and other outlets have noted, she is the first openly gay person to head CBS News—a milestone for LGBTQ+ media visibility. Yet, her critics within the LGBTQ+ community argue that representation alone isn’t enough. Some, like a columnist for The Advocate, have voiced deep concern over Weiss’s history of amplifying voices hostile to trans people and framing bigotry as reasoned dissent. "When a member of a marginalized community breaks barriers while also using their platform to cause injury to other community members, that’s not progress," the columnist wrote. They warn that Weiss’s editorial stance at The Free Press—which has often published content questioning trans rights—could signal a troubling direction for CBS News if similar approaches are adopted.
Supporters of Weiss counter that she is championing free speech and heterodox thought, arguing that her leadership could help CBS News reclaim a reputation for fact-based, balanced reporting. Paramount’s Ellison has made it clear that the goal is to foster civil discourse and broaden the range of perspectives featured on the network. But for many, especially those in marginalized communities, the fear is that “balance” could come at the expense of vulnerable voices.
All this unfolds against a backdrop of broader industry turmoil. CBS News is not alone in facing declining ratings, financial pressures, and the existential challenge of adapting to a rapidly changing media landscape. Paramount’s digital push, the blending of broadcast and digital content, and the search for new leadership models are all part of a high-stakes gamble to secure the network’s future.
As Bari Weiss settles into her role, the stakes couldn’t be higher—for CBS News, for its staff, and for the future of American journalism itself. The coming months will reveal whether her call for candor and change leads to renewal or deepens existing divides. For now, the newsroom waits, memo pads in hand, as a new chapter begins.
