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Paramount Skydance acquires The Free Press; Bari Weiss to lead CBS News as Editor-in-Chief
Paramount Skydance has acquired The Free Press, the independent outlet founded by Bari Weiss, who will become editor-in-chief of CBS News. The move, part of CEO David Ellison’s vision to modernize CBS, aims to promote diverse, independent journalism and restore editorial credibility.
Weiss will take over as editor-in-chief of CBS News, marking a significant editorial shift at the nearly century-old news organization.
In one of its first major editorial moves since the $8 billion merger that created Paramount Skydance, the newly formed media giant has acquired The Free Press, the independent online news platform co-founded by journalist Bari Weiss, NBC News reported. As part of the acquisition, Weiss will take over as editor-in-chief of CBS News.
Founded in 2021 by Weiss, her wife Nellie Bowles, and her sister Suzy Weiss, The Free Press has built a reputation as a platform for “fearless, independent journalism” and a counterpoint to what it calls “ideological narratives” in mainstream media. The outlet boasts about 1.5 million Substack subscribers, including 1,70,000 paid members, and is estimated to generate over $15 million in annual subscription revenue, according to Paramount Skydance.
In a statement, Weiss said the partnership represents a new chapter for both The Free Press and CBS News.
An announcement from @BariWeiss: The Free Press is joining Paramount.
— The Free Press (@TheFP) October 6, 2025
Read more: https://t.co/tFH1mA3t4F pic.twitter.com/3PIlAh6gNc
“This partnership allows our ethos of fearless, independent journalism to reach an enormous, diverse, and influential audience,” Weiss said. “We honor the extraordinary legacy of CBS News by committing ourselves to building the most trusted news organization of the 21st century.”
David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance and son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, described the deal as part of a broader effort to modernize CBS News and reestablish its credibility in an era of media polarization.
“Bari is a proven champion of independent, principled journalism,” Ellison said. “Her entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision will invigorate CBS News and help us connect directly — and passionately — with audiences around the world.”
The acquisition fulfills one of Skydance’s key promises made to regulators during merger approval, to embrace diverse viewpoints and strengthen editorial accountability, including plans to appoint an ombudsman for CBS News.
For Weiss, the move represents a remarkable ascent from her 2020 resignation from The New York Times, where she criticized the paper’s “illiberal environment,” to now leading one of America’s most storied newsrooms.
CBS News has been under scrutiny in recent months, facing an FCC investigation into allegations of “news distortion” following a lawsuit by former President Donald Trump over a 60 Minutes segment. Paramount settled the lawsuit for $16 million, but the inquiry remains ongoing.
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