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Paramount has named ex- NYT commentator Bari Weiss to lead CBS News, marking the most recent move by current leadership to reshape activities of a prominent American news organisations.

The company is furthermore acquiring The Free Press, the web-based platform Weiss founded after her contentious departure from the New York Times, in a agreement reported to be worth $150 million.

Ms Weiss, who has challenged television news for becoming overly political, said she was enthusiastic to put her stamp on CBS, which was taken over by David Ellison earlier this year as part of a broader merger with Paramount.

History of the Executive

Ms Weiss, who began her professional journey at Jewish news outlets, is noted for her support of Israel and her questioning of "call-out culture".

Beginning as a email publication in 2021, The Free Press has accumulated 1.5 million subscribers, including more than 170,000 subscribing supporters.

It has garnered notice for articles such as a feature critical of NPR by one of its previous business editors, as well as an analysis of some images used by traditional journalism to showcase famine in Gaza.

Prominent writers include historian Niall Ferguson and economic thinker Tyler Cowen.

Vision for CBS

Mr Ellison said the hiring of Ms Weiss as chief editor was part of a bigger initiative to update content at Paramount and make CBS the "most-trusted name in news".

"We think the greater part of the country longs for news that is balanced and accurate, and we want CBS to be their destination," he said.

Additional Shifts at CBS

Terms of the deal were not made public. Paramount declined to comment reports that the corporation had paid $150 million in shares and money.

Mr Ellison made his name as a Hollywood movie maker of blockbusters such as Top Gun Maverick, True Grit and World War Z.

He has said his objective is to produce reporting that is less politically skewed, and therefore has the capacity to engage all demographics.

His purchase of Paramount was cleared by government authorities this summer, after the company committed to pay $16 million to conclude a court case.

To secure clearance of the transaction, Mr Ellison committed to install an independent ombudsman at CBS to examine concerns of bias and vowed to oversight bodies that programming would showcase a range of perspectives.

He also said CBS's veteran political show "Face the Nation" would cease to air altered conversations.

Alliance Facts

CBS News has a partnership agreement with a global news organization, meaning news content including visual material can be exchanged.

In a message revealing the deal, Ms Weiss said she had faith in the Paramount executive and his leadership team.

"They are doubling down because they support news. Because they have courage. Because they love this country. And because they recognize, as we do, that America cannot prosper without shared information, agreed principles, and a unified worldview," she stated.