Bari Weiss pushes a digital plan in attempt to move past her rocky start at CBS News

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Bari Weiss started her role as editor in chief at CBS News in October with no prior experience in television control rooms.

On Tuesday, she unveiled her strategy to revitalize the news division, which has recently struggled with declining viewership, poor ratings, low employee morale, and unfavorable media attention.

Speaking to CBS staff in New York City, newly appointed leader Weiss acknowledged that some may be skeptical. Instead of asking for their trust immediately, she stated she intends to prove herself, just as the network needs to win over its audience, according to a CBS News transcript.

The statement admitted that the first few months of Weiss’s leadership have been challenging. She’s been navigating a learning curve with how TV news operates, a deeply rooted company culture, and concerns that political bias is influencing decisions. The recent town hall meeting was meant to address these issues and start fresh.

Weiss denied accusations that she was instructed to offer more positive coverage of the Trump administration because CBS News’ parent company, Paramount, is trying to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. She stated she’s never talked with Paramount CEO David Ellison – her direct supervisor – about how CBS News covers the White House.

Weiss stated her sole purpose was to advocate for fairness and truth, not to represent any particular person or group. She simply wanted to be a voice for what’s right.

She told employees her business goal for CBS News is to expand its reach on digital platforms.

She explained that the network is losing viewers because it isn’t adapting to how people are now consuming content. Their current approach focuses too much on maintaining the shrinking audience still watching traditional TV, and she warned that if they continue down that path, they won’t survive.

Weiss plans to grow popular CBS News shows like “60 Minutes,” “CBS Sunday Morning,” and “48 Hours” by bringing them to new formats such as podcasts, newsletters, and live events. She emphasized the need for CBS News to quickly adapt to a streaming-focused approach, noting that their competition now includes more than just traditional television networks.

Some CBS News staff were pleased with the announcement, which they felt was long overdue – it could have been made five to ten years ago. They generally felt encouraged by what Weiss said, as they believe the network hasn’t fully utilized its resources to grow beyond traditional television.

“She went a good way to bring people together,” said one attendee. “That was a good start.”

A key challenge for CBS News president Kim Godwin, previously Weiss, will be finding ways to make up for the money still coming from traditional television as viewers shift online. Digital advertising generally brings in less revenue than TV ads, so CBS News will likely need to rely more on subscriptions and other income streams.

Weiss didn’t share details about how much money will be invested in these new projects. She explained that the focus will be on creating products and services people will actually want to buy.

Weiss explained that the network is actively seeking new, young journalists who will initially share their reporting on social media, but will also publish their work on other platforms. She highlighted three recent hires—based in London, Kiev, and New York—who are already using their iPhones to report stories across various channels.

Weiss also revealed that 19 new writers and contributors have joined the team, and some of them have already published articles on Free Press, the online news site CBS News’ parent company, Paramount, purchased when they brought her on board.

Cable news networks often rely on paid commentators who aren’t staff employees to help fill their lengthy daily broadcasts.

Weiss has admitted to coworkers that she doesn’t fully understand how stories progress from initial assignment, through reporting and editing, and finally onto a broadcast schedule – some programs air every day of the year.

It was immediately obvious she lacked experience when she took charge of “60 Minutes,” CBS’s flagship and most successful news program. CBS News employees were shocked by her decision to cancel a report about mistreatment at a prison in El Salvador – a facility the U.S. government uses to hold Venezuelan immigrants.

I was really disappointed when the story Sharyn Alfonsi and her team worked on for months was pulled right before it was supposed to air. They did everything by the book, and it felt like a political decision. It just seems like the network is trying to avoid upsetting the White House, and this whole thing really reinforces that idea.

Weiss believed the story by Alfonsi required further investigation, specifically including a comment from someone in the administration, despite the White House already refusing to be involved. The segment eventually aired a month later, but internal news division sources felt the added reporting wasn’t significant enough to justify the controversy caused by Weiss’s choice to push for it.

During the meeting, Weiss admitted she would have handled things another way, but she explained her reasoning and stood by her goals.

As editor, I’ll always ask for more details and keep pushing to get them,” she explained. “I definitely don’t want to repeat the mistake of approving a story after promotional materials are already out – I won’t be doing that again.

Weiss emphasized that Paramount executives didn’t try to affect her choice to delay the Alfonsi story. She stated clearly, “I wasn’t pressured by David Ellison or anyone at the company.”

She stated that the network’s journalistic principles have remained consistent since she joined, but she feels the team is now more open to different perspectives.

According to Weiss, CBS News likely wouldn’t have featured someone like Dana Loesch, a former spokesperson for the National Rifle Association, on its morning show just a year ago, and he sees that as a positive development.

Hollywood Inc.

A former New York Times editor and the founder of Free Press is entering the challenging world of television news.

CBS News president Kim Godwin expressed satisfaction with the updated “CBS Evening News,” now anchored by Tony Dokoupil, whom she personally selected. Despite critical reviews and declining viewership, all three major network evening news programs experienced ratings drops in January compared to the previous year. CBS saw the largest decrease, with ratings down approximately 20%.

Okay, so there was a lot of criticism when CBS Mornings first started. Some segments, like when Nate Dokoupil did a really over-the-top piece praising Senator Marco Rubio, and a quick mention of the January 6th anniversary – which Trump blamed on the Capitol police – really rubbed people the wrong way. But honestly, it’s all calmed down now. The show has found its footing and is pretty much a standard news program these days.

Although recent issues with shows like “60 Minutes” and the start of “CBS Evening News” have been discouraging, many journalists within the division are optimistic that Weiss can bring positive change and are rooting for her success.

According to Tom Bettag, a journalism lecturer at the University of Maryland and former network news producer, it will be difficult for her to overcome her challenging beginning.

Bettag questioned whether Weiss could recover from a rocky start with “60 Minutes” and the launch featuring Nate Dokoupil, noting that first impressions are crucial.

Weiss isn’t the first leader to oversee a TV news department without having worked as a journalist themselves, and those who’ve been in that position before have also faced challenges.

Michael Gartner, an award-winning newspaper editor, took charge of NBC News in the mid-1980s. His time there was challenging, lasting five years, as he dealt with strong personalities and attempted to lower expenses. Later, in 2001, Walter Isaacson joined CNN after working at Time magazine, but left after just 18 months, surprised by the intense public attention on the network’s decisions.

Before CBS News, Weiss managed the Free Press, a much smaller organization with 60 staff members, while CBS News has a global team of over 1,200 people.

Weiss is unique in this role because she already had strong opinions before starting her work. She previously wrote opinion pieces before launching The Free Press, a publication that quickly became known for its critiques of progressive viewpoints and what it calls “woke” policies.

CBS News CEO Wendy Weiss has repeatedly told employees that public trust in traditional media is declining – a point frequently made by Donald Trump and his followers. She emphasized the need to appeal to independent voters – those who seek out facts and are open to different perspectives, even if they disagree with them.

I really believe in what Weiss is trying to do, but she’s facing an uphill battle at CBS News. There’s this feeling among even people who work there that she doesn’t quite fit in, and a lot of that comes from the network being so proud of its past – legends like Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow really set a standard, and some people think CBS is too stuck in that old way of doing things.

One CBS News journalist observed that the venue seems overly focused on its history. While acknowledging the past is important, they argued it shouldn’t overshadow the present. They used the New York Yankees as an example, noting the team doesn’t constantly dwell on past legends like Babe Ruth, but instead prioritizes current success.

Although “60 Minutes” and “CBS Evening News” are the core news programs for the division and are currently the main focus of leadership, the future of “CBS Mornings,” a significant source of revenue, also needs to be addressed. Gayle King’s contract expires in May, and reports last year indicated that Paramount Global would like her to continue with the show, potentially in a different capacity and with reduced pay.

I watch “CBS Mornings” regularly, and while it’s not as popular as “Good Morning America” or “Today,” it definitely has a dedicated audience. Gayle King is a huge draw – everyone knows her! I worry that if something happened to her role on the show, her fans – like me – might stop watching. It’s so easy to switch channels or find something else online these days, and once you break that morning routine, it’s really hard to come back to a show.

During a town hall meeting, Weiss praised King, who was upset about how the media had been reporting things. King shared, “People have been treating me like a pet, apologizing for my departure from CBS and saying they’ll stop watching the network without me.”

I’m so thrilled to share that everyone here absolutely adores her! We’re all really excited about her continued future with CBS, and we see her staying with us for a long time to come.

Sources familiar with the morning show, who aren’t allowed to speak on the record, expect King to renew his contract. However, the network is also making plans in case he decides to leave.

Adriana Diaz and Kelly O’Grady will be the new co-hosts of “CBS Saturday Morning,” and they’ll also be filling in for the main host during the week. This move is seen as a way to introduce them to viewers and prepare them for potential future roles. According to one source, CBS is intentionally developing a strong team of on-air personalities.

Leading up to Tuesday’s town hall, several longtime CBS News employees felt Weiss hadn’t spoken to the whole team in her first three months as leader. King, who generally liked the presentation, advised Weiss that they needed to connect more quickly.

King pointed out that many people hadn’t even heard the person speak before, adding that it was good to know they were a real individual with genuine desires.

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2026-01-28 03:02