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The media conglomerate has named former New York Times opinion writer Bari Weiss to lead CBS News, signaling the latest move by recent acquirers to restructure workings of a prominent American news outlets.

The company is additionally purchasing The Free Press, the online publication Weiss started after her contentious separation from the New York Times, in a arrangement estimated to be worth $150 million.

Ms Weiss, who has questioned television news for becoming too partisan, said she was excited to influence CBS, which was taken over by David Ellison recently as part of a larger merger with Paramount.

Background of the New Leader

Ms Weiss, who began her professional journey at Jewish media organizations, is known for her backing of Israel and her questioning of "cancel culture".

Since its start as a digital bulletin in 2021, The Free Press has gained 1.5 million subscribers, including in excess of 170,000 paying members.

It has received recognition for reports such as a piece questioning of NPR by one of its previous business editors, as well as an examination of some photographs used by mainstream news outlets to showcase famine in Gaza.

Prominent authors include historian Niall Ferguson and economist Tyler Cowen.

Future Direction

Mr Ellison said the selection of Ms Weiss as chief editor was part of a broader effort to refresh coverage at Paramount and make CBS the "most-trusted name in news".

"We believe the majority of the country desires news that is fair and fact-based, and we want CBS to be their home," he said.

More Change at CBS

Terms of the arrangement were not revealed. Paramount refused to discuss stories that the corporation had paid $150 million in equity and currency.

Mr Ellison established his reputation as a Hollywood cinematic creator of major films such as Top Gun Maverick, True Grit and World War Z.

He has said his objective is to produce reporting that is more balanced politically, and therefore has the potential to engage all audiences.

His acquisition of Paramount was cleared by regulators this recent period, after the company consented to pay $16 million to conclude a court case.

To obtain consent of the acquisition, Mr Ellison pledged to install an external reviewer at CBS to assess complaints of bias and vowed to oversight bodies that content would showcase a variety of opinions.

He additionally said CBS's established political show "Face the Nation" would discontinue air edited interviews.

Partnership Details

CBS News has a working relationship with a global news organization, meaning news content including visual material can be distributed.

In a note announcing the deal, Ms Weiss said she believed in the Paramount boss and his executive staff.

"They are doubling down because they support news. Because they have bravery. Because they love this country. And because they understand, as we do, that America cannot succeed without common facts, universal realities, and a unified worldview," she stated.