Paramount Skydance Media today announced the acquisition of The Free Press, an independent news and commentary platform founded by journalist Bari Weiss in 2021. As part of the transaction, Weiss will join CBS News as Editor-in-Chief, a newly created role overseeing editorial direction and newsroom standards across the network’s broadcast and digital platforms.
The Free Press, launched by Weiss alongside Nellie Bowles and Suzy Weiss, has built a subscription base of approximately 1.5 million readers, including more than 170,000 paid subscribers, according to Paramount Skydance. The publication, known for its focus on diverse and heterodox perspectives, will continue operations under the Paramount Skydance umbrella. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison said in a statement, “Bari is a proven champion of independent, principled journalism, and her entrepreneurial vision will invigorate CBS News. This move reflects Paramount’s broader strategy to modernize our news operations and strengthen connections with audiences around the world.”
Weiss described the partnership as an opportunity to expand the reach of The Free Press’s founding mission. “This partnership allows our ethos of fearless, independent journalism to reach an enormous and diverse audience,” Weiss said. “We honor the legacy of CBS News by committing ourselves to one mission: building the most trusted news organization of the 21st Century.”
Ellison acquired Paramount earlier this year in an $8 billion merger combining his company, Skydance Media, with the nearly century-old studio. As part of that merger’s regulatory approval, Paramount Skydance pledged to promote diverse viewpoints and establish an ombudsman position within CBS News. Industry sources said Kenneth Weinstein, former president of the Hudson Institute, has been appointed to that role to oversee fairness and editorial integrity.
Weiss will report directly to Ellison and work alongside CBS News President Tom Cibrowski. In a letter to CBS staff, Weiss wrote that her first priority will be engaging with newsroom teams to evaluate strengths, challenges, and opportunities for innovation. “I want to hear from you about what’s working, what isn’t, and how we can make CBS News the most trusted news organization in America and the world,” she said.
The acquisition represents one of the most significant early moves under Ellison’s leadership of Paramount Skydance, signaling a strategic effort to re-position CBS News in an evolving media landscape while broadening its editorial perspective.
About Paramount Skydance Media
Paramount Skydance Media is a global entertainment and news company formed in 2025 through the merger of Paramount Global and Skydance Media. The company produces film, television, sports, and news programming across platforms including CBS, Paramount+, and Nickelodeon, serving audiences worldwide.
About The Free Press
Founded in 2021 by Bari Weiss, Nellie Bowles, and Suzy Weiss, The Free Press is an independent news and commentary publication offering in-depth reporting and opinion pieces across politics, culture, and current affairs. The outlet is headquartered in Los Angeles and reaches a global subscriber base through Substack.
At the time of publishing, Stocks.News does not hold positions in companies mentioned in the article.
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